The Redlich–Obersteiner's zone, also known as the root entry zone, is a boundary between the

central nervous system The central nervous system (CNS) is the part of the nervous system consisting primarily of the brain and spinal cord. The CNS is so named because the brain integrates the received information and coordinates and influences the activity of all p ...

(CNS) and the

peripheral nervous system The peripheral nervous system (PNS) is one of two components that make up the nervous system of bilateral animals, with the other part being the central nervous system (CNS). The PNS consists of nerves and ganglia, which lie outside the brain ...

(PNS).Redlich-Obersteiner zone
''

Whonamedit? ''Whonamedit?'' is an online English-language dictionary of medical eponyms and the people associated with their identification. Though it is a dictionary, many eponyms and persons are presented in extensive articles with comprehensive bibliograph ...

'' (accessed 5 June 2022) The Redlich–Obersteiner's zone is located at the point of entry of either between cranial nerves and the brain or spinal nerves and the

spinal cord The spinal cord is a long, thin, tubular structure made up of nervous tissue, which extends from the medulla oblongata in the brainstem to the lumbar region of the vertebral column (backbone). The backbone encloses the central canal of the sp ...

. This narrow zone is identified visually where there is a transition regarding myelin production. It is named after Emil Redlich and Heinrich Obersteiner. As the Redlich–Obersteiner's zone separates the CNS and PNS, there is a transition from

Schwann cell Schwann cells or neurolemmocytes (named after German physiologist Theodor Schwann) are the principal glia of the peripheral nervous system (PNS). Glial cells function to support neurons and in the PNS, also include satellite cells, olfactory ens ...

myelin to

oligodendrocyte Oligodendrocytes (), or oligodendroglia, are a type of neuroglia whose main functions are to provide support and insulation to axons in the central nervous system of jawed vertebrates, equivalent to the function performed by Schwann cells in the ...

myelin. In cranial nerves this is often the place of neuro-vascular compression syndromes such as trigeminal neuralgia.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Redlich-Obersteiner's zone Neuroanatomy