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ventromedial pathway

any of four major descending groups of nerve fibers within the motor system, conveying information from diffuse areas of the cerebral cortex, midbrain, and cerebellum. These pathways include the anterior corticospinal tract, which descends directly from motor cortex to the anterior horn of the spinal cord; the vestibulospinal tract, which carries information from the vestibular nuclei for control of equilibratory responses; the tectospinal tract, for control of head and eye movements; and the reticulospinal tract, for maintaining posture.

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Psychology term of the day

February 23rd 2025

inbreeding

inbreeding

n. the mating of individuals that are closely related. Inbreeding increases the risk of perpetuating certain genetic defects in the family, as in consanguineous marriages. Inbreeding within small populations, such as geographically isolated populations, leads to increased frequency of particular mutations within such groups. This fact has been used to demonstrate the founder effect for certain cancers and other disorders. Inbreeding studies have contributed to efforts to identify and test for mutations predisposing to disease in some groups of people. Compare outbreeding.