Metathalamus
Metathalamus
Definition
The metathalamus is a subdivision of the diencephalon composed of two paired nuclei: the medial geniculate body, specialized in transmitting auditory information to the auditory cortex, and the lateral geniculate body, specialized in transmitting visual information to the visual cortex.
The metathalamus is particularly large in carnivores. The geniculate bodies are proportionally smaller in Humans than in domestic mammals and less prominent on the surface.
References
Barone R, Bortolami R. Anatomie comparée des mammifères domestiques, Tome 6, Neurologie I, Vigot, Paris, 2004.
Evans HE, de Lahunta A. Miller’s anatomy of the dog, 4th edition, Elsevier Saunders, St Louis, 2012.
