forebrain

[fawr-breyn, fohr-]

noun

Anatomy.

1. Also called prosencephalon. the anterior of the three primary divisions of the brain in the embryo of a vertebrate, or the part of the adult brain derived from this tissue including the diencephalon and telencephalon.

2. the telencephalon.

forebrain

/ ˈfɔːˌbreɪn /

noun

1. the nontechnical name for prosencephalon

forebrain

1. The forwardmost part of the vertebrate brain. In humans, it consists of the thalamus, the hypothalamus, and the cerebrum.

2. Compare hindbrain midbrain

Word History and Origins

Origin of forebrain¹

First recorded in 1875–80; fore- + brain

Example Sentences

“In mammals, we know that touch is processed across the outer surface of the forebrain in the cortex,” said Duncan Leitch, corresponding author and a professor of integrative biology at UCLA.

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This technical advance allowed them to identify previously unseen pathways connecting the brainstem, thalamus, hypothalamus, basal forebrain, and cerebral cortex.

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The team found that their brain size had been overestimated -- especially that of the forebrain -- and thus neuron counts as well.

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The forebrain, or cerebral cortex, is the largest part of the brain, important for a wide range of function, ranging from cognitive thought, vision, attention and memory.

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The neuron density of its forebrain — the region engaged with planning, sensory processing, and emotional responses, and on which REM sleep is largely dependent — is comparable to that of primates.

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