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third ventricle

third ventricle

1 8.0
A narrow space in the middle of the brain that holds fluid and connects to another brain cavity below
  • noun
  • /θɜrd ˈvɛntrɪkəl/
  • Specialized
translation icon : tercer ventrículo
  • Basic theory states that each time the section of the brain referred to as the hypothalamus (located in the basal ganglia, third ventricle) experiences stimuli, it transports the nerve signals to different sections of the brain, and thinking occurs.

Examples

  • And it sits right in the back of the third ventricle towards the top of the head.

  • The third ventricle and lateral ventricle are just coming around and there are no lesions, no bumps.

  • The third ventricle is located between the two thalami and connects to the fourth ventricle.

  • A scan showed that the third ventricle was enlarged, which could indicate a neurological issue.

  • During the surgery, the doctors carefully navigated around the delicate structures of the third ventricle.

Surface Forms

Morphology

third + ventricle

The meaning is directly and compositionally derived from 'third' (the ordinal number three) + 'ventricle' (a brain cavity), so it denotes the third such brain cavity in sequence. This is a transparent, technical anatomical label that follows straightforward compositional logic (and similar labels exist in other languages), so a B1 learner who knows both constituents would understand it.

Etymology

Third ventricle is named for a small, narrow chamber in the middle of the brain where clear fluid flows. Think of third as the middle one and ventricle as a little room, so the phrase means the 'narrow, fluid-filled space' that connects other parts of the brain.