A

David

Darling

thalamus

thalamus. Image: Wikipedia

The thalamus is either of two large ovoid masses of gray matter in the vertebrate forebrain. It lies above the hypothalamus. All sensory input (except for olefaction) passes through the thalamus on the way to the somatic-sensory regions of the cerebrum and then returns to it from there. All signals from the cerebellum pass through the thalamus on the way to the motor areas of the cerebral cortex.