plural tecta
ˈtek-tə 
: a bodily structure resembling or serving as a roof
especially
: the dorsal part of the midbrain
Examples of tectum in a Sentence
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For a looming stimulus, a nucleus of nerve cells in the midbrain called the optic tectum has served as the prime threat detector since the early days of vertebrate evolution.
—
Tom Siegfried, Smithsonian Magazine, 4 Jan. 2023
Cells in the retina detecting a rapidly expanding object send signals to the optic tectum or superior colliculus, alerting the brain to an imminent collision.
—Tom Siegfried, Smithsonian Magazine, 4 Jan. 2023
In turn, the tectum/colliculus signals nerve cells to activate muscles.
—Tom Siegfried, Smithsonian Magazine, 4 Jan. 2023
And in the tectum, a brain region that processes images from the optic nerve, the neurons of salamanders were often strewn chaotically about—a trait seen in embryonic or larval brains—whereas in frogs, the neurons were nicely layered.
—Douglas Fox, Scientific American, 1 Feb. 2022
The researchers also recorded activity from the ocular tectum, a brain area involved in basic visual processing in owls and many other vertebrates.
—Joanna Klein, New York Times, 3 July 2018
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Tom Siegfried, Smithsonian Magazine, 4 Jan. 2023
Cells in the retina detecting a rapidly expanding object send signals to the optic tectum or superior colliculus, alerting the brain to an imminent collision.
—Tom Siegfried, Smithsonian Magazine, 4 Jan. 2023
In turn, the tectum/colliculus signals nerve cells to activate muscles.
—Tom Siegfried, Smithsonian Magazine, 4 Jan. 2023
And in the tectum, a brain region that processes images from the optic nerve, the neurons of salamanders were often strewn chaotically about—a trait seen in embryonic or larval brains—whereas in frogs, the neurons were nicely layered.
—Douglas Fox, Scientific American, 1 Feb. 2022
The researchers also recorded activity from the ocular tectum, a brain area involved in basic visual processing in owls and many other vertebrates.
—Joanna Klein, New York Times, 3 July 2018
Dictionary Entries Near tectum
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“Tectum.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/tectum. Accessed 21 Dec. 2024.
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