medial geniculate nucleus


medial geniculate nucleus

The auditory relay nucleus of the thalamus. It is on the back undersurface of the thalamus, above the cerebral peduncle. It receives auditory axons from the inferior colliculus, and it sends axons to the auditory cortex (superior temporal gyrus of Heschl [area 41]) in which the neurons are organized according to auditory pitch. See also: nucleus