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The Diencephalon

Very deep inside the brain, surrounded by the cerebral hemispheres is where we find the diencephalon.  This structure surrounds the third ventricle and is primarily made of brain nuclei (gray matter).

It is composed of three paired structures:

Thalamus – 2 egg-shaped structures, you can only see one side in the pic below.

Hypothalamus – oddly shaped, below the thalamus, in the dark blue.

Epithalamus – posteroinferior to thalamus and is mostly the single pineal gland

The Thalamus in detail

There’s a dozen nuclei on each side.  It’s a relay station for everything sensory that comes from the brain.  It includes tons of synapses.  The thalamus sends the signal outward.  What happens here is a lot of “editing” (processing, amplifying, toning down) before it goes to the cerebral cortex.  It is literally the gateway to the cerebral cortex.

The hypothalamus in detail

This is known as the “master gland” which controls/masters all the other glands.  The mammillary body can be seen with the naked eye.  The hypothalamus controls the autonomic nervous system, emotions (it’s right at the center of the Limbic system), thermostat, hunger/thirst, pleasure, circadian rhythm, entire endocrine system and memory via input from the hippocampus.  The pituitary gland is held by a stalk called the infundibulum.

The epithalamus in detail

The epithalamus forms part of the roof of the 3rd ventricle.  The pineal gland is the main part of the epithalamus and it secretes melatonin that induces sleep and has to do with circadian rhythm.  It also induces puberty/labor and this is the area associated with the “third eye” according to chakra/energy systems.

Use this Table of Contents to go to the next article

Painting by Michael Reedy
The Basics. Start here. This is your Foundation.
  • Intro to human anatomy
  • The building blocks of cells

Epithelial and Connective Tissue

  • Basics of Epithelial Tissue
  • Eight types of Epithelial Tissue
  • Detailed Features of Epithelia
  • Connective Tissue Basics
  • Three Types of Membrane

Skin, Hair, Nails, Sweat Glands

  • Integumentary System Part 1
  • Integumentary System Part 2

The Skeletal System

  • Cartilage and Bones
  • Geography of the Skull
  • Special parts of the skull
  • The Vertebral Column
  • Thoracic Cage, Ribs, Fontanelles

The Muscular System

  • Muscles of the Head
  • Muscles of the Neck and Vertebral Column
  • Muscles of the thorax for breathing and the pelvic floor (The Diaphragm)
  • Muscles of the Abdominal Wall
  • Muscles of the Forearm

YOU ARE HERE AT THE CNS

The Central Nervous System

  • Fundamentals of the Nervous System and Nervous Tissue
  • CNS: Intro to Brain and Ventricles, Medulla Oblongata, Pons, Mid-Brain and Cerebellum
  • Central Nervous System: Spinal Cord
  • The Diencephalon
  • The Cerebral Hemispheres
  • Functional Areas of The Cerebral Cortex
  • Cerebral White Matter and Gray Matter and Basal Ganglia
  • The Limbic System and the Reticular Formation
  • Protection for the Brain: Meninges, CSF, Blood-Brain Barrier
  • Disorders of the Central Nervous System

The Peripheral Nervous System

  • Peripheral Nervous System: Cranial Nerves
  • Peripheral Nervous System: Spinal Nerves and Plexuses
  • Innervation of the skin: Dermatomes

The Autonomic Nervous System

  • The Autonomic Nervous System (Includes sympathetic and parasymphathetic systems)
  • Visceral Sensory Neurons and Referred Pain

Special Senses

  • Chemical Sense: Taste (Gustation)
  • Chemical Sense: Smell (Olfaction)
  • The Eye and Vision

The Cardiovascular System

  • Intro to the Heart
  • Blood Flow of the Heart (Circulation Flow)
  • Myocardium
  • Conducting System of the Heart (Nervous Impulse Flow)
  • The Four Corners of the Heart
  • Layers of the Pericardium, Heart Wall and Spiral Arrangement
  • Function of the Atrioventricular and Semilunar Valves
  • Blood Components, Hemoglobin, Type/Rh Factor, Agglutination
  • Blood Vessels

Specialized Systems

  • The Endocrine System (Pituitary, Thyroid, Pancreas, Adrenal, Gonads, etc)
  • The Lymphatic System (Spleen, Thymus, Lymphatic vessels, nodes etc)
  • The Respiratory System (Lungs, Alveoli, Bronchi, Trachea, Larynx, Nasal cavities, etc)
  • The Immune System
  • The Urinary System: Kidneys
  • The Urinary System: Ureter and Urinary Bladder

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