Ganglionic Eminence

In neuroanatomy and neuroembryology, a ganglionic eminence (GE) is a transitory brain structure that guides cell and axon migration. It is present in the embryonic and fetal stages of neural development found between the thalamus and caudate nucleus. The eminences are found in the ventral ventricular zone of the telencephalon, where they facilitate tangential cell migration during embryonic development. Tangential migration does not involve interactions with radial glial cells, instead the interneurons migrate perpendicularly through the radial glial cells to reach their final location. The characteristics and function of the cells that follow the tangential migration pathway seem to be closely related to the location and precise timing of their production. GABAergic interneurons migrate tangentially, and the GEs contribute significantly to building up the GABAergic cortical cell population. Another structure that the GEs contribute to is the basal ganglia. The GEs also guide the axons growing from the thalamus into the cortex and vice versa. In humans, the GEs disappear by one year of age. During development, neuronal migration continues until the extinction of the germ layer, at which point the remnants from the germ layer make up the eminences.