The superior colliculus is part of the brain that sits below the thalamus and surrounds the pineal gland in the mesencephalon of vertebrate brains. The structure comprises the rostral aspect of the midbrain, anterior to the central gray and adjacent the inferior colliculus. In humans, it is involved in the generation of saccades and hand-eye coordination. Afferents to the superior collicus originate in the cerebral cortex, the inferior colliculus, the retina, the basal ganglia and spinal cord. In humans, as in most larger vertebrates, sensory information that goes to the mesencephalon will be relayed via the thalamus to cerebral cortex for interpretation. However, the superior colliculus can also mediate some oculo-motor movements without cortical involvement. The thalamus is a part of the brain. ... The pineal gland or epiphysis, is a small endocrine gland. ... In biological anatomy, the mesencephalon (or midbrain) is the middle of three vesicles that arise from the neural tube that forms the brain of developing animals. ... Groups Conodonta Hyperoartia Petromyzontidae (lampreys) Pteraspidomorphi (early jawless fish) Thelodonti Anaspida Cephalaspidomorphi (early jawless fish) Galeaspida Pituriaspida Osteostraci Gnathostomata (jawed vertebrates) Placodermi Chondrichthyes (cartilaginous fish) Acanthodii Osteichthyes (bony fish) Actinopterygii (ray-finned fish) Sarcopterygii (lobe-finned fish) Actinistia (coelacanths) Dipnoi (lungfish) Tetrapoda Amphibia Amniota Sauropsida/(Reptiles) Aves (Birds) Synapsida Mammalia... In the anatomy of animals, the brain, or encephalon, is the supervisory center of the nervous system. ... In zootomy, several terms are used to describe the location of organs and other structures in the body of bilateral animals. ... In biological anatomy, the mesencephalon (or midbrain) is the middle of three vesicles that arise from the neural tube that forms the brain of developing animals. ... In zootomy, several terms are used to describe the location of organs and other structures in the body of bilateral animals. ... The inferior colliculus is part of the brain that sits below the superior colliculus, above the trochlear nerve and at the base of the projection of the medial geniculate nucleus (MGN) and the lateral geniculate nucleus (LGN). ... Binomial name Homo sapiens Linnaeus, 1758 Subspecies Homo sapiens idaltu (extinct) Homo sapiens sapiens Human beings define themselves in biological, social, and spiritual terms. ... This article does not cite its references or sources. ... Location of the Cerebral cortex Slice of the Cerebral cortex, ca. ... Human eye cross-sectional view. ... Coronal slices of human brain showing the basal ganglia, globus pallidus (GPe), subthalamic nucleus (STN) and basal ganglia output nuclei (GPi and SNr). ... The spinal cord is a part of the vertebrate nervous system that is enclosed in and protected by the vertebral column (it passes through the spinal canal). ... The thalamus is a part of the brain. ...

The superior colliculus receives visual, as well as auditory, inputs in its superficial layers, and the deeper layers of the colliculus are connected to many sensorimotor areas of the brain. The colliculus as a whole is thought to help orient the head and eyes toward something seen or heard.

The comparable area of the mesencephalon of non-mammalian vertebrates is called the optic tectum. In amphibia, reptiles and fish, the optic tectum is the main visual processing area. In contrast, the role of the superior collicus for visual discrimination is less prominent in more complex vertebrates.

Colliculus comes from the Latin for small hill. Superior comes from the Latin for upper. QuickLatin

External links

• University of Wisconsin-Madison neuroanatomy web site