thalamus

thalamus A large ovoid mass within the midbrain (the interbrain, connected to the cerebral hemisphere) that forms part of the walls of the third ventricle in the brain. The thalamus contains a number of distinct groups of cells, or nuclei, that function as relay centers for sensory and other impulses between the body and the brain and between the cerebellum, the basal ganglia, and the cerebral cortex. Destruction of part of the thalamus is called thalamotomy.