CON’T

DIENCEPHALON
 Three swellings develop in the lateral walls of the third ventricle, these later become the thalamus,
hypothalamus and epithalamus.
 The thalamus is separated from the epithalamus by the epithalamic sulcus and from hypothalamus by
hypothalamic sulcus.
 The thalamus develops rapidly on each side of the third ventricle and bulges into its cavity. The thalami
meet and fuse in the midline in approximately 70% of brains, forming a bridge of gray matter across the
third ventricle—the interthalamic adhesion.
 Hypothalamus; is formed by proliferation of neuroblastd leading to formation of a number of nuclei that
controls endocrine and homeostatic activities. Mammillary bodies, these are pairs of pea-shaped nuclei
forms swelling on the ventral part of the hypothalamus
 epithalamus; is a dorsal posterior segment of diencephalon, which includes the habenula and their
interconnecting fibers, habenular commissures, stria medullaris and pineal body. its main function is
secretion of melatonin by pineal glands.
CON’T
DEVELOPMENT OF THE PITUITARY GLANDS
 It is ectodermal in origin and develops from two sources i.e hypophysial diveerticulum from
the roof of stomodeum(oral ectoderm) and the neurohypophysial diverticulum from the floor
of diencephalon(neuroectoderm).
 In the third week, the hypophysial diverticulum/ rathke’s pouch projects from the roof of the
stomodeum and lies adjacent to the floor of the diecephalon.
 In the 5th week, the stalk of rathke’s pouch becomes constricted as it comes into contact with
the infudibulum/ neurohypophysial diverticulum.
 In the 6th week, the connection between rathke’s pouch and the stomodeum degenerates.
The anterior wall of rathke’s pouch proliferates and his rise to pars anterior of the pituitary
gland. An extension of rathke’s pouch grows around the infudibulum stalk and it gives rise to
the pars tuberalis. The cells of the posterior wall don’t proliferate, and this wall gives rise to
pars intermedia.
 The infudibulum gives rise to median eminence, infudibular stem, and pars Nervosa. The
distal end of the infudibulum is thick due to proliferation of neuroepithelial cells, and these
cells give rise to primary cells of the posterior pituitary gland called pituicytes.
CON’T
 Pituicytes, as specialized astrocytes, are the main glial cells of the neaural lobe. They assist
in storage and release of hormones of the posterior pituitary e.g vasopressin and oxytocin.