midbrain ribonucleic acid amount ventral tegmental area ribonucleic acid amount 2026-04-14T19:59:57Z CMO:0004142 The proportion, quantity, or volume of ribonucleic acid in the unpaired midbrain region situated in the ventromedial portion of the reticular formation. The VTA is medial to the substantia nigra and ventral to the red nucleus, and extends caudally from the posterior hypothalamus in the diencephalon. The VTA contains dopamine neurons that project to various limbic and cortical areas and is a critical component of the brain's reward circuitry. Ribonucleic acid is a high molecular weight, linear polymer composed of nucleotides containing ribose and linked by phosphodiester bonds. Trait.ontology VT:0011290 VTA RNA amount VTA ribonucleic acid amount ventral tegmental area RNA amount