midbrain
Acronym: MBR
The term midbrain (MBR) refers to the central of three linearly organized parts of the brain (BRN) as defined and segmented by dissection. The part rostral to MBR is the forebrain (FBR); the part caudal to it is the hindbrain (HBR). In the human ( Carpenter-1983 ) and macaque ( MBR's boundary with the FBR is an oblique plane that through the e rostrodorsal margin of the superior colliculus (SUC) and the caudoventral margin of the mammillary body (mmb) of the hypothalamus (HYP). Its boundary with the pons (PON) is a similar plane through the caudodorsal margin of the inferior colliculus (INC) rostrodorsally and the rostrodorsal margin of the basal pons (PONb). In the rat ( Swanson-2004 ) and mouse ( Hof-2000 ) the landmarks are the same, but the planes are more vertical.
      The MBR has three cellularr parts, the tectum (TEC), periaqueductal gray (PAG) and cerebral peduncle (CPD), and one acellular part the cerebral aqueduct (AQU). Substructures of the midbrain are derived for the most part, but not entirely, from the embryonic Mesencephalon. Updated 27 Nov 2025.

Also known as: MesencephalonNeuroNames ID : 462


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