Final answer:
The gracile and cuneate nuclei are located in the medulla oblongata, which is part of the brain stem.
Step-by-step explanation:
The gracile and cuneate nuclei are located in the medulla oblongata, which is part of the brain stem. The axons in the dorsal column terminate in these nuclei, where they synapse with the second neuron in their respective pathway. From there, the pathway continues to the thalamus and then the cerebral cortex.