LATERAL VIEW OF BRAIN VESICLE

8-WEEK EMBRYO
MEDIAL SURFACE OF PROSENCEPHALON
7-WEEK EMBRYO
 During the third to fourth week of embryonic development,
the anterior part of the neural tube develops into three
enlarged areas called primary brain vesicles.
These are the prosencephalon, mesencephalon, and
rhombencephalon.
During the fifth week of development, secondary brain
vesicles, begin to develop.
The prosencephalon develops into two secondary brain
vesicles called the telencephalon and the diencephalon.
Rhombencephalon also develops into two secondary brain
vesicles called the metencephalon and the myelencephalon.
The area of the neural tube inferior to the myelencephalon
gives rise to the spinal cord.
 The telencephalon develops into the cerebral hemispheres,
including the basal nuclei, and houses the paired lateral
ventricles.
The diencephalon develops into the thalamus, hypothalamus,
and epithalamus.
The mesencephalon develops into the midbrain, which
surrounds the aqueduct of the midbrain (cerebral aqueduct).
The metencephalon becomes the pons and cerebellum and
houses part of the fourth ventricle.
The myelencephalon develops into the medulla oblongata
and houses the remainder of the fourth ventricle.