Rhombencephalon

Brain: Rhombencephalon
Diagram depicting the main subdivisions of the embryonic vertebrate brain. These regions will later differentiate into forebrain, midbrain and hindbrain structures.
Scheme of roof of fourth ventricle.
Gray's subject #187 767
NeuroNames hier-531
MeSH Rhombencephalon
NeuroLex ID birnlex_942

The rhombencephalon (or hindbrain) is a developmental categorization of portions of the central nervous system in vertebrates.

The rhombencephalon can be subdivided in a variable number of transversal swellings called rhombomeres. In the human embryo eight rhombomeres can be distinguished, from caudal to rostral: Rh7-Rh1 and the isthmus (the most rostral rhombomere).

A rare disease of the rhombencephalon, "rhombencephalosynapsis," is characterized by a missing vermis resulting in a fused cerebellum. Patients generally present with cerebellar ataxia.

The caudal rhombencephalon has been generally considered as the initiation site for neural tube closure.[1]

Contents

Myelencephalon

Rhombomeres Rh7-Rh4 form the myelencephalon.

The myelencephalon forms the medulla oblongata in the adult brain; it contains:

Metencephalon

Rhombomeres Rh3-Rh1 form the metencephalon.

The metencephalon is composed of the pons and the cerebellum; it contains:

Evolution

The hindbrain is homologous to a part of the arthropod brain known as the sub-oesophageal ganglion.[2] On this basis, it has been suggested that the hindbrain first evolved in the Urbilaterian - the last common ancestor of chordates and arthropods - between 570 and 555 million years ago.[2][3]

Additional images

References

  1. ^ SpringerLink - Journal Article
  2. ^ a b Ghysen A (2003). "The origin and evolution of the nervous system". Int. J. Dev. Biol. 47 (7–8): 555–62. PMID 14756331. http://www.ijdb.ehu.es/web/paper.php?doi=14756331. 
  3. ^ Haycock, DE Being and Perceiving

External links