Final answer:
In the medulla, the next synapse begins the separate information pathways. The axons in the dorsal column terminate in the nuclei of the medulla and continue ascending as the medial lemniscus to the thalamus. The third neuron in the system projects to the cerebral cortex for processing and conscious perception of somatosensory stimuli.
Step-by-step explanation:
In the medulla, the next synapse begins the separate information pathways. The axons in the dorsal column terminate in the nuclei of the medulla, where each synapses with the second neuron in their respective pathway. The second neuron then projects from one of the two nuclei and continues to ascend the brain stem as a bundle called the medial lemniscus. These axons terminate in the thalamus, where each synapses with the third neuron in their respective pathway. The third neuron in the system projects its axons to the postcentral gyrus of the cerebral cortex, where somatosensory stimuli are initially processed and the conscious perception of the stimulus occurs.