Final answer:
Ascending tracts lateral to the medial lemniscus include the spinothalamic, spinocerebellar, and rubrospinal tracts, whereas the corticospinal tract is a major descending pathway for motor control.
Step-by-step explanation:
The ascending tracts lateral to the medial lemniscus include the spinothalamic tract, spinocerebellar tract, and the rubrospinal tract. Notably, the corticospinal tract is not an ascending tract but rather a major descending tract responsible for controlling skeletal muscle movements.
The spinothalamic tract is a key ascending pathway that carries sensory information such as pain, temperature, and crude touch from the periphery to the brain. The spinocerebellar tracts (both anterior and posterior) convey proprioceptive information from muscle spindles and Golgi tendon organs to the cerebellum, while the rubrospinal tract facilitates voluntary movement and muscle tone modulation through its connection between the red nucleus and the spinal cord. In contrast, the corticospinal tract travels from the cortex through various brain structures, including the internal capsule, cerebral peduncles, pons, and medulla before descending into the spinal cord and controlling musculature.