Ventral view of a bovine encephalon showing the basal surface of the cerebral hemispheres and the brainstem, with the pons and medulla oblongata prominent and the cerebellum on the opposite side. In the basal (ventral) region, the typical emergence zones for cranial nerves are located around the optic chiasm and along the ventral brainstem: CN II at the optic chiasm/optic tracts; CN III from the interpeduncular fossa; CN V from the lateral aspect of the pons; CN VI at the pontomedullary junction; CN VII and CN VIII laterally at the cerebellopontine angle; CN IX, CN X, and CN XI from the lateral medulla oblongata; and CN XII from the ventral medulla

• Recognize the main subdivisions of the encephalon in ventral orientation: cerebrum (rostral), brainstem (medulla–pons region), and cerebellum (dorsal)
• Relate external brainstem morphology to function: the pons and medulla as key conduits for ascending/descending tracts and autonomic centers.
• Link ventral brain landmarks to cranial nerve emergence: optic chiasm/tracts for CN II, interpeduncular region for CN III, lateral pons for CN V, pontomedullary junction for CN VI, cerebellopontine angle for CN VII–VIII, lateral medulla for CN IX–X–XI, and ventral medulla for CN XII.

• Neuroanatomical orientation drills: have students identify rostral/caudal and midline landmarks on the ventral surface before moving to sectional anatomy.
• Neuro-localization stations: present short clinical vignettes and have students point to the most likely brainstem level based on affected cranial nerves (e.g., V vs VII–VIII vs IX–X–XI patterns).
• Practical anatomy for procedures: use the brain base to introduce where specific cranial nerves originate before discussing peripheral pathways relevant to head/neck exams (jaw tone for V, facial symmetry for VII, gag/swallow for IX–X, tongue movement for XII).