Metencephalon
Metencephalon | |
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![]() Pons and cerebellum. | |
Identifiers | |
MeSH | D020540 |
NeuroNames | 543 |
NeuroLex ID | birnlex_965 |
TA98 | A14.1.03.004 |
FMA | 62003 |
Anatomical terms of neuroanatomy |
The metencephalon is the embryonic part of the hindbrain that differentiates into the pons and the cerebellum. It contains a portion of the fourth ventricle and the trigeminal nerve (CN V), abducens nerve (CN VI), facial nerve (CN VII), and a portion of the vestibulocochlear nerve (CN VIII).
Embryology
The metencephalon develops from the higher/rostral half of the
Functions
The pons regulates breathing through particular nuclei that regulate the breathing center of the
Development
At the early stages of brain development, the brain vesicles that are formed are imperative.[1] Each brain region is characterized by its own specific architecture. These regions of the brain are determined by a combination of transcription factors and the signals that change their expression.[1]
The
Otx1 and Otx2 are genes that play important parts in the development of the brain, and studies have shown that their roles change throughout the brain’s development.[3] It is thought that at the stage of brain development wherein the rostral brain is regionalized into its different parts (telencephalon, diencephalon, metencephalon, and mesencephalon) that Otx2 and Otx1 protect the caudalization of the diencephalon and mesencephalon into metencephalon.[3]
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/e/e9/Pons_-_Middle.svg/220px-Pons_-_Middle.svg.png)
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/7/72/Pons_-_Inferior.svg/220px-Pons_-_Inferior.svg.png)
See also
- Mesencephalon
- Telencephalon
- Myelencephalon
- List of regions in the human brain
References
- ^ a b Nakamura, H., and Watanabe, Y. Isthmus organizer and regionalization of the mesencephalon and metencephalon. Int. J. Dev. Biol. 49: 231-235 (2005). doi: 10.1387/ijdb.041964hn.
- ^ a b c Matsunaga, E., Katahira, T., and Nakamura, H. "Role of Lmx1b and Wnt1 in mesencephalon and metencephalon development""Development" (2002)
- ^ a b Sakuri, Y., Kurokawa, D., Kiyonari, H., Kajikawa, E., Suda, Y., and Aizawa, S. "Otx2 and Otx1 protect diencephalon and mesencephalon from caudalization into metencephalon during early brain regionalization"[permanent dead link] "Developmental Biology" (2010).