diencephalon

1 9.9

Part of the brain between the two halves and the midbrain that contains the thalamus and hypothalamus

noun
/ˌdaɪənˈsɛfəlɒn/

Specialized

: diencéfalo

The diencephalon is responsible for regulating body temperature and hormone release.

Examples

It's called that geniculate because it's a knee like bump on the side of the the diencephalon in human.
The midbrain adds a little more, but only if you have the hypothalamus in the diencephalon or tween brain.
In the brain, the diencephalon serves as a relay station for sensory information.
During development, the diencephalon forms important structures like the thalamus and hypothalamus.

Synonyms

interbrain

vsdiencephalon

Specialized

9.5

Part of the brain behind the front that connects the two halves and relays sensory signals

is the specific scientific name for that same forebrain region

betweenbrain

vsdiencephalon

Specialized

9.9

The part of the brain that links the two halves to the midbrain and controls basic body functions

is an alternative scientific name used for that identical brain area

thalmencephalon

vsdiencephalon

Archaic

9.9

Back part of the front brain that links the two sides to middle brain and sends messages from the senses

emphasises that the region includes the thalamus and hypothalamus

Surface Forms

diencephalon singular

diencephalons plural

Morphology

diencephalon = encephalon (semi-transparent) = di + encephalon

Formally composed from the combining prefix 'di' + 'encephalon', but both elements are specialized medical/Greek combining forms unfamiliar to average learners.

Etymology

The word diencephalon comes from Greek parts di- meaning 'between' and encephalon meaning 'brain' or 'in the head'. So it names the 'in-between' part of the brain that sits between the two big halves of the brain and the midbrain.