mesencephalon

American  

[mes-en-sef-uh-lon, -luhn, mez-] / ˌmɛs ɛnˈsɛf əˌlɒn, -lən, ˌmɛz- /

noun

plural

mesencephala, mesencephalons

1. Anatomy. the midbrain.

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mesencephalon British  

/ ˌmɛsɛnsɪˈfælɪk, ˌmɛsɛnˈsɛfəˌlɒn /

noun

1. Nontechnical name: midbrain.  the part of the brain that develops from the middle portion of the embryonic neural tube Compare prosencephalon rhombencephalon

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Other Word Forms

• mesencephalic adjective

Etymology

Origin of mesencephalon

First recorded in 1840–50; mes- + encephalon

Example Sentences

The mesencephalon, metencephalon, and myelencephalon become the brain stem.

From Textbooks • Jun. 19, 2013

There is also a connection of the optic tract to the midbrain, but the mesencephalon is adjacent to the diencephalon, so that is not difficult to imagine.

From Textbooks • Jun. 19, 2013

The brain stem includes the midbrain, pons, and medulla, which correspond to the mesencephalon, metencephalon, and myelencephalon.

From Textbooks • Jun. 19, 2013

Whereas prosencephalon and mesencephalon translate into the English words forebrain and midbrain, there is not a word for “four-sided-figure-brain.”

From Textbooks • Jun. 19, 2013

The first is known as the cephalic, and is caused by the prosencephalon bending sharply downward, below and in front of the mesencephalon.

From Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 4, Slice 4 "Bradford, William" to "Brequigny, Louis" by Various