| Supraoptic nucleus | |
|---|---|
 Human supraoptic nucleus (SON, dorsolateral and ventromedial components) in this coronal section is indicated by the shaded areas. Dots represent vasopressin (AVP) neurons (also seen in the paraventricular nucleus, PVN). The medial surface is the 3rd ventricle (3V), with more lateral to the left. | |
| Details | |
| Identifiers | |
| Latin | nucleus supraopticus |
| MeSH | D013495 |
| NeuroNames | 385 |
| NeuroLex ID | birnlex_1411 |
| TA98 | A14.1.08.912 |
| TA2 | 5721 |
| FMA | 62317 |
| Anatomical terms of neuroanatomy | |
The supraoptic nucleus (SON) is a nucleus of magnocellular neurosecretory cells in the hypothalamus of the mammalian brain. The nucleus is situated at the base of the brain, adjacent to the optic chiasm. In humans, the SON contains about 3,000 neurons.