Diencephalon

Diencephalon
Three central brain structures which emerge from the diencephalon, brain seen in sagittal section.
Details
Latin	diencephalon
Identifiers
Gray's	p.807
MeSH	A08.186.211.730.385
Code	TH H3.11.03.5.00001
NeuroNames	hier-271
NeuroLex ID	Diencephalon
TA	A14.1.03.007 A14.1.08.001
FMA	62001
Anatomical terms of neuroanatomy

The diencephalon ("interbrain") is the region of the embryonic vertebrate neural tube that gives rise to posterior forebrain structures. In development, the forebrain develops from the prosencephalon, the most anterior vesicle of the neural tube that later forms both the diencephalon and the telencephalon. In adults, the diencephalon appears at the upper end of the brain stem, situated between the cerebrum and the brain stem. It is made up of four distinct components: the thalamus, the subthalamus, the hypothalamus, and the epithalamus.^[1]

Structure

Location of the Diencephalon (red).

• diencephalon
  • mid-diencephalic territory
    • prethalamus
    • zona limitans intrathalamica
    • thalamus
  • hypothalamus
  • epithalamus
  • pineal gland
  • metathalamus

Attachments

The Optic Nerve (CNII) attaches to the diencephalon. The Optic Nerve is a sensory (afferent) nerve responsible for vision; it runs from the eye through the optic canal in the skull and attaches to the diencephalon. The retina itself is derived from the optic cup, a part of the embryonic diencephalon.

Function

The diencephalon is the region of the embryonic vertebrate neural tube that gives rise to posterior forebrain structures including the thalamus, hypothalamus, posterior portion of the pituitary gland, and pineal gland. The hypothalamus performs numerous vital functions, most of which relating directly or indirectly to the regulation of visceral activities by way of other brain regions and the autonomic nervous system.

Diencephalon

Additional images

• 

  Diagram depicting the main subdivisions of the embryonic vertebrate brain. These regions will later differentiate into forebrain, midbrain and hindbrain structures.

• 

  Reconstruction of peripheral nerves of a human embryo of 10.2 mm. (Label for Diencephalon is at left.)

See also

• List of regions in the human brain

References

External links

• Stained brain slice images which include the "diencephalon" at the BrainMaps project
• NIF Search - Diencephalon via the Neuroscience Information Framework

  Nervous system Central nervous system Meninges Spinal cord Brain Rhombencephalon Medulla Pons Cerebellum Midbrain Prosencephalon Diencephalon Retina Optic nerve Cerebrum Peripheral nervous system Somatic Sensory nerve Motor nerve Cranial nerve Spinal nerve Autonomic Sympathetic Parasympathetic Enteric Index of the central nervous system Description Anatomy meninges cortex association fibers commissural fibers lateral ventricles basal ganglia diencephalon mesencephalon pons cerebellum medulla spinal cord tracts Physiology neutrotransmission enzymes intermediates Development Disease Cerebral palsy Meningitis Demyelinating diseases Seizures and epilepsy Headache Stroke Sleep Congenital Injury Neoplasms and cancer Other paralytic syndromes ALS Symptoms and signs head and neck eponymous lesions Tests CSF Treatment Procedures Drugs general anesthetics analgesics addiction epilepsy cholinergics migraine Parkinson's vertigo other Index of the peripheral nervous system Description Anatomy Nerves cranial trigeminal cervical brachial lumbosacral plexus somatosensory spinal autonomic Physiology reflexes proteins neurotransmitters transporters Development neurotrophins Disease Autonomic Congenital Injury Neoplasms and cancer Other Symptoms and signs eponymous Treatment Procedures Local anesthetics