early brain development

development of the midbrain, forebrain, and hindbrain

• when the foetus is about 3 or 4 weeks old, a long tube develops in the brain, which is divided from the front into three distinct sections in order from the top, these are the forebrain. midbrain and hindbrain.below the hindbrain is the spinal cord.
• by 5 weeks old, the forebrain and hindbrain have each split into a further two cavities (giving five in total); the forebrain splits into an anterior (front) and a posterior (behind) section and the hindbrain splits through the middle. the midbrain does not divide.

development of the cerebellum and medulla

• the cerebellum ("little brain") can be seen in the foetus at about 6 weeks and a year after birth…