Globus pallidus

The globus pallidus is a pale-appearing spherical area in the brain. Globus is a Latin word meaning a globe or sphere. Pallidus refers to its pallor relative to the surrounding brain substance. The globus pallidus is specifically part of what is called the lentiform nucleus which, in turn, is part of the striate body, a component of the basal ganglia, large masses of gray matter at the base (hence basal) of the cerebral hemispheres of the brain. The globus pallidus is also called the pale globe, the palladum, and the paleostriatum (because it was thought to have evolved before the neostriatum, a different part of the striate body).

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globus pal·li·dus -'pal-ə-dəs n the median portion of the lentiform nucleus called also pallidum

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the smaller and more medial part of the lentiform nucleus of the brain, separated from the putamen by the lateral medullary lamina. In official anatomic terminology, it is divided by the medial medullary lamina into two parts, lateral and medial (see g. pallidus lateralis and g. pallidus medialis), both of which have extensive connections with the corpus striatum, thalamus, and mesencephalon. Called also pallidum. See also paleostriatum.

Globus pallidus in relation to other components of the basal ganglia and closely associated brain regions; coronal section.