That part of the developing brain that is the most caudal of the three primary vesicles of the embryonic neural tube; secondarily divided into metencephalon and myelencephalon; the r. includes the pons, cerebellum, and medulla oblongata. SYN: hindbrain [TA], hindbrain vesicle. [rhombo- + G. enkephalos, brain]
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rhomb·en·ce·phal·ic -sə-'fal-ik adj
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n.
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rhomb·en·ceph·a·lon (rom″ben-sefґə-lon) [Gr. rhombos rhombus + enkephalos brain] 1. the part of the brain developed from the posterior of the three primary brain vesicles of the embryonic neural tube; it comprises the metencephalon (cerebellum and pons) and myelencephalon (medulla oblongata). 2. the most caudal of the three primary brain vesicles in the embryo, later dividing into the metencephalon and myelencephalon. 3. the most caudal of the three primary brain vesicles in the embryo, later dividing into the metencephalon and myelencephalon. Called also hindbrain.Medical dictionary. 2011.