pons (ponz) n.
1. (p. Varolii) the part of the brainstem that links the medulla oblongata and the thalamus. It contains numerous nerve tracts between the cerebral cortex and the spinal cord. [ C. Varolius (1543–75), Italian anatomist]

2. any portion of tissue that joins two parts of an organ.
—pontine (pon-teen) adj.

pons (pons Varolii) A thick tract of nerve fibres in the brain that links the medulla oblongata to the midbrain. Its function is to relay impulses between different parts of the brain. The pons is named after its discoverer, the Italian anatomist C. Varoli (1543–75).