Forebrain

Forebrain (Prosencephalon)

Diagram depicting the main subdivisions of the embryonic vertebrate brain. These regions will later differentiate into forebrain, midbrain and hindbrain structures.
Identifiers
NeuroLex ID Forebrain
TA A14.1.03.006
FMA 61992

Anatomical terms of neuroanatomy

In the anatomy of the brain of vertebrates, the forebrain or prosencephalon is the rostral-most (forward-most) portion of the brain. The forebrain, the midbrain (mesencephalon), and hindbrain (rhombencephalon) are the three primary portions of the brain during early development of the central nervous system. It controls body temperature, reproductive functions, eating, sleeping, and any display of emotions.

At the five-vesicle stage, the forebrain separates into the diencephalon (thalamus, hypothalamus, subthalamus, epithalamus, and pretectum) and the telencephalon which develops into the cerebrum. The cerebrum consists of the cerebral cortex, underlying white matter, and the basal ganglia.

By 5 weeks in utero, it is visible as a single portion toward the front of the fetus. At 8 weeks in utero, the forebrain splits into the left and right cerebral hemispheres.

When the embryonic forebrain fails to divide the brain into two lobes, it results in a condition known as holoprosencephaly.

See also

This article is issued from Wikipedia - version of the 11/5/2016. The text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share Alike but additional terms may apply for the media files.