| lateral nucleus of thalamus | The largest of the major subdivisions of the thalamus; the composite lateral nucleus includes, from before backward, the nucleus lateralis anterior or dorsalis, nucleus lateralis intermedius, nucleus lateralis posterior, and pulvinar; together, these cell groups form most of the free dorsal surface of the posterior half of the thalamus and project to a very large region of parietal, occipitoparietal, and temporal cortex; its afferent connections are largely obscure, but the nucleus lateralis posterior and the pulvinar receive a projection from the superior colliculus. Synonym: nucleus lateralis thalami. (05 Mar 2000) |
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| lateral preoptic nucleus | A vaguely defined group of nerve cells in the lateral zone of the preoptic region. Synonym: nucleus preopticus lateralis. (05 Mar 2000) |
| lateral reticular nucleus | A group of cells in the medulla oblongata, located between the inferior olive and the descending trigeminal nucleus, receiving fibres from the spinal cord and motor cortex and projecting to the cerebellum. Synonym: nucleus lateralis medullae oblongatae, lateral reticular nucleus. (05 Mar 2000) |
| lateral vestibular nucleus | Nucleus vestibularis lateralis. See: vestibular nucleus. (05 Mar 2000) |
| lens nucleus, crystalline | The core of the crystalline lens, surrounded by the cortex. (12 Dec 1998) |
| lenticular nucleus | Lentiform nucleus, the large cone-shaped mass of gray matter forming the central core of the cerebral hemisphere. The convex base of the cone, oriented laterally and rostrally, is formed by the putamen which together with the caudate nucleus composes the striatum; the apical part, oriented medially and caudally, consists of the two segments of the globus pallidus. The nucleus is ventral and lateral to the thalamus and caudate nucleus, from which it is separated by the internal capsule, and together with the caudate nucleus composes the striate body. Synonym: nucleus lentiformis, lenticula. (05 Mar 2000) |