DEVELOPMENT OF MIDBRAIN

By
DR. A.U.AGU

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 INTRODUCTION

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• The Neural Tube is divided into an enlarged cranial & tubular caudal
parts.
• The cephalic end shows 3 dilations (primary brain vesicles) at 5th wk:
 Prosencephalon, or forebrain
 Mesencephalon, or midbrain
 Rhombencephalon, or hindbrain
• The caudal part forms the spinal cord

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• Simultaneously it forms two flexures:
Cervical flexure at the junction of the hindbrain & the
spinal cord
Cephalic flexure in the midbrain region.

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Prosencephalon – made up of 2 parts:
Telencephalon - forms; cerebral cortex & corpus
striatum
Diencephalon – forms; Thalamus, hypothalamus, optic
stalk & pars nervosa of hypophysis cerebri.
Mesencephalon – forms the midbrain
Rhombencephalon - also made up 2 parts:
Metencephalon - forms the pons & cerebellum
Myelencephalon- forms the medulla oblongata
• The boundary b/w mete & myelecephalon is
marked by the pontine flexure.
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• The rhombencephalic isthmus, separates the
mesencephalon from the rhombencephalon.
• The lumen of the spinal cord, (central canal) is
continuous with that of the brain vesicles.
• The cavity of the rhombencephalon is the 4th
ventricle
• That of the diencephalon is the 3rd ventricle,
• Those of the cerebral hemispheres are the lateral
ventricles

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• The lumen of the mesencephalon connects the 3 rd
& 4th ventricles, becomes narrow & is called the
aqueduct of Sylvius.
• The lateral ventricles communicate with the 3 rd
ventricle through the interventricular foramina of
Monro

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• The midbrain develops from the mesencephalon
• Each basal plate contains 2 groups of motor nuclei:
– A medial SE group – gives rise to the oculomotor &
trochlear nerves
– A small GVE group - gives rise to Edinger Westphal
nucleus
• The marginal layer of each basal plate enlarges &
forms the crus cerebri.

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• These crura serve as pathways for nerve fibers descending
from the cerebral cortex to lower centers in the pons & spinal
cord.
• The alar plates give rise to the of the colliculus which is
divided into anterior (superior) & posterior (inferior) by a
transverse groove
• They serve as relay stations for visual & auditory reflexes
respectively

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 Exercise
• Edinger Westphal nucleus arises from ------
• List the cranial nerves of midbrain

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 Thanks for listening

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