DIENCEPHALON AND ITS

FUNCTIONS.
GROUP TWO MEMBERS:
1. JANE MUGO
2. COSMAS AWICH
3. NAOMI WOKI
4. MONICA LETTING
5. EUNICE KAMAU
6. AGNES MAWONDO
What is diencephalon ?

 It is the region of the vertebrate that generates the posterior

forebrain components/
 It develops from the prosencephalon which is located at the anterior
vesicle of the nural tube which later forms the diencephalon and
telencephalon
 The diencephalon consists of :
 Thalamus
 Hypothalamus
 Subthalamus
 Pineal body [ Epithalamus]
THALAMUS
 It’s a large ovoid nuclear mass has multiple functions:
1.Sensory relay center:
-1st order sensory center
-2nd order sensory center
-3rd order sensory center
2nd order synapses with the 3rd order sensory center.

2.Limbic functions housed at the anterior part of the thalamus/

Its functions are; memory, emotions, personality, behaviour, sexual
functions, food intake etc/
3.Motor functions
 Has connections with basal ganglia
 Regulates movements by offering breaking system to motor
functions/
4.Cortical activation alertness.
Thalamus has nuclei within it .which is able to stimulate cerebral
cortex to maintain alertness ie the reticular system which activate
cerebral cortex to keep us alert.

5.Cognitive functions
The nuclei within the thalamus has connections with prefrontal cortex
and this nuclei has a role in cognitive functions.
HYPOTHALAMUS
Its below and anterior to thalamus.
1.Controls all autonomic functions that is the subconscious functions
which are sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous system.
2.Endocrine functions: produces hormones which regulate secretions
of the pituitary gland which control the endocrine organs.
Pituitary is controlled by the hypothalamus therefore is considered
master endocrine organ.
3.limbic functions/
4. Control of food intake :has sensations of feeding centre .It makes
you feel you have had enough .makes you loose appetite as well.
5. A sensory organ :that houses sensory receptors of which many are housed in the hypothalamus that is
:
 Temperature receptors which detect temperature of blood
 Glucose levels
 Osmolarity
 Heart rate
 Shivering
 Sweating
 Gastrointestinal movements
 Appetite
 Water balance
 Sleep-wake cycle

So hypothalamus can control some functions subconsciously that ie homeostatic functions through
autonomic nervous system/
3.THE PINEAL BODY
1.Neuroendocrine transducer
It function is to convert neuronal signals into endocrine output.
It produces hormones in response to nerve stimulation
It secretes melatonin hormone: which is antigonadic which inhibits
A] production of gonado hormones and through this inhibition
melatonin delays puberty until an appropriate age. If a child has a
problem with melatonin, they tend to enter puberty early like at 3 or 4
yrs. of age.
B] It regulates the diurnal circadian rhythm{ sleep wake cycle].
The pineal gland is linked with signals that come from the eyes
regarding day and night.
4. SUBTHALAMUS.
 It is found below thalamus and midbrain.
 Has connections with basal ganglia
 Therefore has motor functions which regulate voluntary
movements as well as cognitive, motivational and emotional
functions.
 References
 Bonnevie, T., & Zaghloul, K. A. (2019). The subthalamic nucleus: unravelling new roles and
mechanisms in the control of action. The Neuroscientist, 25(1), 48-64.

 Cain, C. (2020). Trauma nursing: From resuscitation through rehabilitation. In: AACN.

 Swanger, S. A., Vance, K. M., Pare, J.-F., Sotty, F., Fog, K., Smith, Y., & Traynelis, S. F.
(2015). NMDA receptors containing the GluN2D subunit control neuronal function in the
subthalamic nucleus. Journal of Neuroscience, 35(48), 15971-15983.