Diencephalon

Question 1

Parts of the diencephalon

Answer 1

• thalamus
• hypothalamus
• epithalamus

Question 2

Location of the diencephalon

Answer 2

-sits on top of the brain stem, enclosed by the cerebrum

Question 3

Thalamus

Answer 3

• “gateway to the cortex”
• relay station for sensory cortex (sorts and edits info)
• relay station for other inputs
• (emotional or visceral function from the hypothalamus)
• (directions for the motor cortex from the cerebellum

Question 4

Hypothalamus

Answer 4

• under the thalamus, connected to the pituitary gland by the infundibilum
• main visceral control centre of the body
• mammillary bodies bulge from the floor of the hypothalamus, posterior to the pituitary gland (reflex centres involved in olfaction)

Question 5

Roles of the hypothalamus

Answer 5

• controls the ANS
• initiates physical response to emotions
• regulates body temperature (via sweating or shivering)
• regulates food intake (responds to changes in blood levels of nutrients)
• regulates H2O balance and thirst (includes osmoreceptors that trigger nervous and endocrine thirst responses
• role in sleep/wake cycles
• controls endocrine functions via AP gland

Question 6

Epithalamus

Answer 6

• contains pineal gland, secretes melatonin (for sleep cycles)
• contains the choroid plexus (knot of capillaries that forms the CSF)