forebrain n : the anterior portion of the brain; the part of the brain that develops from the anterior part of the neural tube [syn: prosencephalon]

English

Noun

1. The anterior part of the brain, including the cerebrum, thalamus, and hypothalamus.

Synonyms

• prosencephalon

Translations

In the anatomy of the brain of vertebrates, the prosencephalon (or forebrain) is the rostral-most (forward-most) portion of the brain. The prosencephalon, the mesencephalon (midbrain), and rhombencephalon (hindbrain) are the three primary portions of the brain during early development of the central nervous system.

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

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

Additional images

’ incubation, viewed from the ventral surface. X 26

See also

• List of regions in the human brain