Forebrain

The forebrain, sometimes referred to as the prosencephalon, is the largest of the three major divisions of the brain and is located at the anterior (front) end of the central nervous system. It primarily oversees the control of higher functions such as thought, memory, sensory awareness, motor activity, and emotion. The forebrain is composed of four main areas: the telencephalon, the diencephalon, the mesencephalon, and the basal ganglia. The telencephalon is the largest of these four areas and is home to the cerebral cortex, which is responsible for higher thought processing and the associated functions it entails. The diencephalon contains the thalamus, which processes sensory information, and the hypothalamus, which regulates body functions such as hunger and circadian rhythm. The mesencephalon consists of the tectum and the tegmentum, which are responsible for movement and coordination. The basal ganglia consists of the caudate nucleus and the putamen, which control the initiation and control of movements. These four divisions of the forebrain act together to coordinate and control all the higher functions of the brain. Through the integrative actions of each area, information is communicated and processed throughout the central nervous system, enabling cognitive and perceptual processes that determine behavior and interpretation. Additional layers of complexity and complexity in the underlying neural networks add to the level of nuanced behavior that the forebrain is capable of producing, making it the most sensitive part of the central nervous system.