habenula

American  

[huh-ben-yuh-luh] / həˈbɛn yə lə /

noun

Anatomy.

plural

habenulae

1. a narrow bandlike structure, as the stalk attaching the pineal gland to the thalamus.

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Other Word Forms

• habenular adjective

Etymology

Origin of habenula

1875–80; < Latin: small strip of skin, equivalent to habēn ( a ) strap, thong, rein (derivative of habēre to have, hold, possess; cf. able, habit ¹) + -ula -ule

Example Sentences

Some cortical areas showed increased receptor density, while reductions were seen in regions associated with reward processing, especially the habenula.

From Science Daily • Mar. 8, 2026

The gene proved very active in the habenula, a region of the cichlid’s brain that registers fear and instigates movement.

From Science Magazine • Apr. 24, 2024

The habenula might potentially store its location, enabling it to reconstruct sequences of movement.

From Science Daily • Feb. 1, 2024

Meanwhile, chronically high glucose levels—communicated through the vagus and other interoceptive pathways—cause the habenula to respond less vigorously to nicotine, prompting the rats to seek more of the drug.

From Science Magazine • Jun. 10, 2021

Shabel, S. J., Proulx, C. D., Trias, A., Murphy, R. T. & Malinow, R. Input to the lateral habenula from the basal ganglia is excitatory, aversive, and suppressed by serotonin.

From Nature • Feb. 13, 2018