thalamus
Sensory signal hub
The thalamus is a paired structure deep in the brain that relays sensory and motor signals to the cerebral cortex.
Nearly all sensory information—sight, sound, touch—passes through the thalamus before reaching conscious awareness.
It also plays roles in regulating sleep, alertness, and consciousness.
Damage to the thalamus can cause sensory deficits or chronic pain.
Ability to see
- hearingPerceiving sound waves
- touchPerceiving through physical contact
- painBodily or emotional distress
- temperatureMeasured heat intensity
proprioception · sensory processing · perception · auditory · somatosensory · visual cortex · receptors · stimulus
Lower neural trunk
- cerebrumBrain's largest division
- basal gangliaSubcortical motor-control nuclei
- limbic systemEmotional brain structures
- cerebral cortexBrain's outer neural sheet
grey matter · white matter · ventricles · midbrain · pons · medulla · third ventricle · mammillary bodies
Point of access
- hubCentral connection point
- switchboardTelephone routing panel
- integrationCombining into a whole
- transmissionSending of information
pathway · filtering · modulation · processing · input · output · projection · connection
State of sentient awareness
- sleepRecurring unconscious repose
- wakefulnessState of being conscious
- arousalStirring to heightened state
- alertnessActive mental awareness
attention · circadian · EEG · alpha waves · spindles · REM · NREM · coma
vision
Ability to see
- hearingPerceiving sound waves
- touchPerceiving through physical contact
- painBodily or emotional distress
temperature · proprioception · sensory processing · perception · auditory · somatosensory · visual cortex · receptors · stimulus · sensation
brainstem
Lower neural trunk
- cerebrumBrain's largest division
- basal gangliaSubcortical motor-control nuclei
- limbic systemEmotional brain structures
cerebral cortex · grey matter · white matter · ventricles · midbrain · pons · medulla · third ventricle · mammillary bodies · pineal gland
gateway
Point of access
- hubCentral connection point
- switchboardTelephone routing panel
- integrationCombining into a whole
transmission · pathway · filtering · modulation · processing · input · output · projection · connection · routing
consciousness
State of sentient awareness
- sleepRecurring unconscious repose
- wakefulnessState of being conscious
- arousalStirring to heightened state
alertness · attention · circadian · EEG · alpha waves · spindles · REM · NREM · coma · anesthesia
receptacle
Container for items
pistil · ovary · placenta · seed · angiosperm · botanical · pedicel · inflorescence · perianth
- braincerebrum, cerebellum, cortex, hippocampus, brainstem
- brain anatomybrain, cerebrum, cerebellum, brainstem, cortex
- brain sciencebrain scan, brain research, brain map, brain imaging, brain chemistry
- cerveauneurone, cortex, synapse, meninges, gyrus
- nervous systembrain, neurons, nerves, spinal cord, axon
- neuroanatomybrain, cerebellum, cerebral cortex, brainstem, medulla
thalamuscerebral cortex
Brain's outer neural sheet
motor cortex · brainstem · spinal cord · peripheral nerves · muscles
thalamuscerebral cortex
Brain's outer neural sheet
cortex · neocortex · peripheral nervous system · sensory cortex · spinal cord