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Anterolateral system

In the nervous system, the anterolateral system is an ascending pathway that conveys pain and temperature (protopathic sensation) from the periphery to the brain. It comprises three main pathways:

Name	Destination	Function
spinothalamic tract (lateral and anterior)	thalamus	important in the localization of painful or thermal stimuli
spinoreticular tract	reticular formation	causes alertness and arousal in response to painful stimuli
spinotectal tract	tectum	orients the eyes and head towards the stimuli

Category: Central nervous system pathways

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