In: Biology
How did the forebrain, midbrain, and hindbrain change over the course of evolution? Be specific. You must tell me how the three-part brain evolved into a 5-part brain (which is a hint in and of itself). What are two functions of each?
At 4th week, cephalic end of the neural tube develops 3 dilations. These are called primary brain vesicles. Craniocaudally these are prosencephalon (forebrain), mesencephalon (midbrain), rhombencephalon (hindbrain). When embryo is 5 weeks old, prosencephalon develop 2 parts - telencephalon (consisting of the 2 primitive cerebral hemispheres with a mid portion) and diencephalon (later develop into metathalamus, thalamus, hypothalamus and epithalamus, subthalamus). The telencephalon covers the diencephalon. The rhombencephalon also develops 2 parts - metencephalon (later develop into pons and cerebellum) and myelencephalon( develops into medulla oblongata . Thus there are 5 secondary brain vesicles.