Overview of diencephalon (Latin)

Sagittal section of the brain presenting the diencephalon and surrounding structures. The diencephalon is the central portion of the encephalon located around the ventriculus tertius, superior to the truncus encephali (medulla oblongata, pons and mesencephalon), and inferior to the corpus callosum and cortex cerebri. Four main parts include the thalamus, epithalamus, subthalamus, and hypothalamus. The largest and most significant part of the diencephalon is the thalamus, which is an ovoid gray matter structure that relays information from the cortex cerebri to the rest of the nervous system and vice versa. The epithalamus is a small portion of the diencephalon located dorsal and caudal to the thalamus. The subthalamus and hypothalamus are both located ventral to the thalamus. The subthalamus is involved in movement regulation, while the hypothalamus controls vital functions such as hunger and thirst.