The thalamus is a brain structure of the vertebrate diencephalon that plays a central role in regulating diverse functions of the cerebral cortex. In traditional view of vertebrate neuroanatomy, the thalamus includes three regions, dorsal thalamus, ventral thalamus, and epithalamus. Recent molecular embryological studies have redefined the thalamus and the associated axial nomenclature of the diencephalon in the context of forebrain patterning. This new view has provided a useful conceptual framework for studies on molecular mechanisms of patterning, neurogenesis and fate specification in the thalamus as well as the guidance mechanisms for thalamocortical axons. Additionally, the availability of genetic tools in mice has led to important findings on how thalamic development is linked to the development of other brain regions, particularly the cerebral cortex. This article will give an overview of the organization of the embryonic thalamus and how progenitor cells in the thalamus generate neurons that are organized into discrete nuclei. I will then discuss how thalamic development is orchestrated with the development of the cerebral cortex and other brain regions.

中文翻译：

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丘脑的发育：从早期形成图案到调节皮层功能。

丘脑是脊椎动物间脑的大脑结构，在调节大脑皮质的多种功能中起着核心作用。在脊椎动物神经解剖学的传统观点中，丘脑包括三个区域，背侧丘脑，腹侧丘脑和上丘脑。最近的分子胚胎学研究已经在前脑模式的背景下重新定义了丘脑和中脑的相关轴向命名法。这种新观点为研究丘脑中的模式，神经发生和命运特征的分子机制以及丘脑皮层轴突的指导机制提供了有用的概念框架。此外，小鼠中遗传工具的可用性带来了关于丘脑发育与其他大脑区域发育之间如何联系的重要发现，特别是大脑皮层。本文将概述胚胎丘脑的组织，以及丘脑中的祖细胞如何产生组织成离散核的神经元。然后，我将讨论丘脑的发育与大脑皮层和其他大脑区域的发育如何协调。