Cell Columns in the Spinal Cord and Brainstem

In the spinal cord, afferent and efferent cell columns are found in the alar and basal plates, repsectively. Visceral columns are found at the intermediate region, somatic columns are at dorsal and ventral extremes.

In the brainstem the alar plate has shifted laterally and two somatic efferent cell columns are present (the more lateral SE column innervates pharyngeal arch derivatives).