Contents
What structures are in the thalamus?
Within the thalamus lie myelinated nerve fibers called lamellae that separate the structure into individual parts. Distinct groups of neurons make up other parts such as the periventricular, the nucleus limitans, and the intralaminar elements collectively called the allothalamus.
Is the hypothalamus part of the thalamus?
The hypothalamus is located on the undersurface of the brain. It lies just below the thalamus and above the pituitary gland, to which it is attached by a stalk. It is an extremely complex part of the brain containing many regions with highly specialised functions.
What cells are in the thalamus?
Thalamus is comprised of 3 basic cell types: relay cells, interneurons, and cells of the thalamic reticular nucleus (Fig. 1) (for details, see Sherman and Guillery, 1996; Sherman and Guillery, 2013). Each of these may be further subdivided, but the complete classification of these cell types has yet to be done.
Is the thalamus part of the cerebrum?
The cerebrum is the largest part of the brain. As with the other parts of the brain, it is divided into sections. These include the thalamus, hypothalamus, and epitheliums. The brain is protected from damage by several layers of defenses.
What is the structure and function of the thalamus?
Structure and Function The thalamus is a paired gray matter structure of the diencephalon located near the center of the brain. It is above the midbrain or mesencephalon, allowing for nerve fiber connections to the cerebral cortex in all directions — each thalamus connects to the other via the interthalamic adhesion.
What is the purpose of the thalamus?
Thalamus, plural thalami, either of a pair of large ovoid organs that form most of the lateral walls of the third ventricle of the brain. The thalamus translates neural impulses from various receptors to the cerebral cortex.
How does the thalamus affect you?
The thalamus plays a role in our memory, emotions, sleep-wake cycle, executive functions, processing sensory input, and sensorimotor control. When a stroke affects the thalamus, it can impair some of these functions — especially the processing and transmission of sensory information.
What are examples of thalamus?
The thalamus is a mostly gray matter structure of the diencephalon that has many essential roles in human physiology. The thalamus is composed of different nuclei that each serve a unique role, ranging from relaying sensory and motor signals, as well as regulation of consciousness and alertness.
Where are the medial and lateral parts of the thalamus located?
Gross structure. The anterior part lies between the short limbs of the internal medullary lamina, while the medial and lateral parts lie on the respective side of the main stem of the “Y”. The left thalamus communicates with the right thalamus by way of the interthalamic adhesion.
Where is the white matter in the thalamus?
Anatomy. There are areas of white matter in the thalamus including the stratum zonale that covers the dorsal surface, and the external and internal medullary laminae. The external lamina covers the lateral surface and the internal lamina divides the nuclei into anterior, medial and lateral groups.
Why is the thalamus important to the nervous system?
The thalamus, due to its many neuronal connections to parts of the limbic, endocrine, and nervous system, is also involved in many more bodily functions than emotions and sensory information. It is also a part of what gives us consciousness.
How are the thalamic nuclei classified by their function?
In addition to the just mentioned grouping by their anatomic location, the thalamic nuclei can also be classified according to their function into the: