thalamus

thal·a·mus  (thl-ms)

n. pl. thal·a·mi (-m)

1. Anatomy A large ovoid mass of gray matter situated in the posterior part of the forebrain that relays sensory impulses to the cerebral cortex.

2. Botany The receptacle of a flower.

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[Latin, inner chamber, from Greek thalamos.]

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tha·lamic (th-lmk) adj.

tha·lami·cal·ly adv.

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thalamus  (thl-ms)

Plural thalami (thl-m)

The part of the vertebrate brain that lies at the rear of the forebrain. It relays sensory information to the cerebral cortex and regulates the perception of touch, pain, and temperature.

Thesaurus

Noun

1.

thalamus - large egg-shaped structures of grey matter that form the dorsal subdivision of the diencephalon neural structure - a structure that is part of the nervous system geniculate body - one of four small oval masses that protrude slightly from the underside of the thalamus and function as synaptic centers on the way to the cerebral cortex betweenbrain, diencephalon, interbrain, thalmencephalon - the posterior division of the forebrain; connects the cerebral hemispheres with the mesencephalon subthalamus - the ventral part of the thalamus