Third ventricle

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Brain: Third ventricle
Scheme showing relations of the ventricles to the surface of the brain.
Latin	ventriculus tertius cerebri
NeuroNames	hier-429
Dorlands/Elsevier	v_06/12853453

The third ventricle (ventriculus tertius) is one of four connected fluid-filled cavities comprising the ventricular system within the human brain. It is a median cleft between the two thalami, and is filled with cerebrospinal fluid (CSF).

It is in the midline, between the left and right lateral ventricles.

Contents 1 Communication 2 Development 3 Boundaries 4 Protrusions 5 See also 6 Additional images 7 External links

[edit] Communication

It communicates with the lateral ventricles anteriorly by the interventricular foramina (of Monro).

It communicates with the fourth ventricle posteriorly by the cerebral aqueduct (of Sylvius).

[edit] Development

Developmentally the third ventricle represents the cavity of the diencephalon.

[edit] Boundaries

It is bounded by the thalamus and hypothalamus on both the left and right sides. The lamina terminalis forms the anterior wall of the third ventricle.

[edit] Protrusions

There are two protrusions on the front of the third ventricle:

• the supra-optic recess (above the optic chiasma)
• the infundibular recess (above the pituitary stalk).

In casts of the ventricular system, a small 'hole' may be seen in the body of the third ventricle. This is formed where the two thalami are joined together at the interthalamic adhesion (not seen in all people).

[edit] See also

• Suprapineal recess

[edit] Additional images

Coronal section of brain immediately in front of pons.	Coronal section of brain through intermediate mass of third ventricle.	Coronal section of lateral and third ventricles.	Drawing of a cast of the ventricular cavities, viewed from above.
Coronal section of brain through anterior commissure.	Diagram showing the positions of the three principal subarachnoid cisternæ.	Median sagittal through the hypophysis of an adult monkey. Semidiagrammatic.

[edit] External links

• BrainMaps at UCDavis third%20ventricle

v • d • e Ventricular system General Choroid plexus - Circumventricular organs Lateral ventricles Body of lateral ventricle - Anterior horn of lateral ventricle - Posterior horn of lateral ventricle - Inferior horn of lateral ventricle - Calcar avis - Collateral eminence - Lamina affixa Third ventricle recesses: (Optic recess, Infundibular recess, Suprapineal recess, Pineal recess) Hypothalamic sulcus - Tela chorioidea of the third ventricle Subfornical organ Fourth ventricle Lateral recess - Tela chorioidea of the fourth ventricle - Taenia of fourth ventricle roof: Superior medullary velum - Inferior medullary velum floor/rhomboid fossa: Vagal trigone - Hypoglossal trigone - Obex - Sulcus limitans - Facial colliculus - Medial eminence Apertures Interventricular/Monro - Cerebral aqueduct/Sylvius - Median/Magendie and Lateral/Luschka