The Diencephalon Two is company, but three is a crowd

The Diencephalon The diencephalon is the section of the brain that contains the thalamus, hypothalamus and the epithalamus It is a complex part of the brain due to the many different structures that are working at the same time

The Diencephalon The diencephalon is responsible for the interpretation of sensory information with motor output Most of the information that is processed and acted upon happens at a subconscious level This includes information to and from cranial nerves, regulation of emotions and various nervous and autonomic funitons

The Diencephalon The diencephalon is located superior to the brainstem It is directly attached to the midbrain The thalamus is divided into two different lobes that are located on the right and left half of the brain The hypothalamus is central and does not contain multiple divisions

The Epithalamus The epithalamus is the dorsal posterior of the diencephalon superior to the third ventricle This section of the diencephalon contains a large section of the choroid plexus It extends through the interventricular foramen and into the lateral ventricles

The Epithalamus The epithalamus contains the pineal gland The pineal gland is an endocrine structure that secretes hormones The main hormone that is secretes is melatonin Melatonin is important in the regulation of day and night cycles

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The Thalamus The thalamus is a two lobed structure that lies at the top of the diencephalon The two sections of the thalamus are the right thalamus and the left thalamus The third ventricle separates the left thalamus and the right thalamus

The Thalamus Each thalamus has groups of thalamic nuclei These nuclei are divided into several groups These groups include the anterior, medial, ventral, posterior and lateral groups

The Thalamus The thalamus acts as a basic filter, that passes on the important sensory information that is needed in the higher parts of the brain It also coordinates the activities of the basal nuclei and the cerebral cortex It also is important for coordinating with the hypothalamus to control emotional states

The Hypothalamus The hypothalamus is located inferior and slightly ventral to the thalamus It is small and is sandwiched between several different structures including the mammillary bodies, the infundibulum and the tuberal area

The Hypothalamus The hypothalamus has an important relationship to the pituitary gland The pituitary gland is often called the master gland due to its relationship with other glands in the body The pituitary can increase or decrease the production and function of the other glands

The Hypothalamus The hypothalamus oversees many aspects of regulating the body When it needs to, it will communicate with the pituitary gland Then the pituitary will send hormone signals to the rest of the body through the blood stream

The Hypothalamus The hypothalamus has many actions including… Subconscious control of skeletal muscles Coordination of nervous and endocrine systems Production and regulation of emotions and behavior drives Coordination between voluntary and autonomic functions Regulation of body temperature Control of circadian rhythms

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