Anatomy and Cell Biology 3319 Lecture : Anatomy Notes
20 Feb 2012
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The diencephalon contains the thalamus, hypothalamus, epithalamus (pineal gland), and subthalamus (includes subthalamic nucleus which is part of the indirect pathway). The thalamus is a midlin structure (both halves on either side of the midline). Within the brain are fluid-filled structures called ventricles. The 1st and 2nd ventricles are called lateral ventricles. They are located on both hemispheres, are closely aligned with the corpus callosum, and have a c-shape (anterior and posterior parts are visible in a transverse section). These two lateral ventricles flow into the 3rd ventricle in the diencephalon, which divides both halves of the thalamus. The left and right parts of the thalamus are joined by the interthalamic adhesion. The hypothalamus is below the thalamus and is connected to the pituitary. The fornix is white matter (located superior to thalamus) that connects the hypothalamus with part of the temporal lobe. The pineal gland is located at the posterior end of the thalamus.
