Midbrain
The mesencephalon or midbrain is a part of the brain stem.[1] It is associated with vision, hearing, motor control, sleep/wake, arousal (alertness), and temperature regulation.[2]
| Midbrain | |
|---|---|
 Inferior view midbrain (2), above (3) | |
 | |
| Details | |
| Identifiers | |
| Latin | mesencephalon |
| MeSH | D008636 |
| NeuroNames | 462 |
| NeuroLex ID | birnlex_1667 |
| TA | A14.1.03.005 |
| FMA | 61993 |
| Anatomical terms of neuroanatomy | |
Horizontal section through midbrain
In the anatomy of developing animals, the brain forms from the neural tube, which turns into three vesicles. The mesencephalon (midbrain) is the middle vesicle, and becomes part of the brain stem.
The mesencephalon is ancient in origin, meaning its general architecture is shared with the most ancient of vertebrates. Dopamine produced in the substantia nigra plays a role in motivation and habituation of species from humans to insects.
References
- Mosby’s Medical, nursing and allied health dictionary. 4th ed, Mosby-Year Book 1994. p981
- Breedlove, Watson, & Rosenzweig 2010. Biological psychology. 6th ed. 45-46
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.