midbrain

American  

[mid-brayn] / ˈmɪdˌbreɪn /

noun

Anatomy.

1. the middle 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; mesencephalon.

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midbrain British  

/ ˈmɪdˌbreɪn /

noun

1. the nontechnical name for mesencephalon

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midbrain Scientific  

/ mĭd′brān′ /

1. The middle part of the vertebrate brain. In most animals except mammals, the midbrain processes sensory information. In mammals, it serves primarily to connect the forebrain with the hindbrain.

2. Compare forebrain hindbrain

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Etymology

Origin of midbrain

First recorded in 1870–75; mid- + brain

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Example Sentences

See Examples For:

midbrain

Jokhai and Dundes found that the hindbrain does not emerge as a later branch of the developmental pathway that produces the forebrain and midbrain.

From Science Daily ● Sep. 21, 2026

A second, higher-resolution projection targets the midbrain with added precision and pinpoints dopaminergic neurons.

From Science Daily ● Nov. 3, 2025

Associative learning, which takes place in the midbrain, can be impaired in some cases of obesity as a result of poor signaling to the brain from the GLP-1 peptides in the intestine.

From Salon ● Jan. 24, 2025

Researchers then had the same bats repeat the task but with a critical auditory pathway in the midbrain temporarily blocked.

From Science Daily ● Nov. 25, 2024

Such masses are found in the bulb, the pons, the midbrain, and the base of the cerebrum.

From Physiology and Hygiene for Secondary Schools by Francis M. Walters

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