ThalamusAn egg-shaped mass beside the third ventricle. The internal capsule runs along its outer side.
Caudate nucleusA C-shaped nucleus on the lateral ventricle's wall. With the putamen it makes up the striatum.
PutamenThe outer and largest part of the lentiform nucleus. With the caudate nucleus it makes up the striatum.
External globus pallidus (outer part)The outer of the two parts of the globus pallidus. Globus pallidus: Latin for pale globe.
Internal globus pallidus (inner part)The inner part of the globus pallidus. It is one of the main outputs of the basal ganglia.
Internal capsuleA band of white matter that runs between the nuclei. It divides the caudate nucleus and thalamus from the lentiform nucleus.
Subthalamic nucleusA small lens-shaped nucleus just below the thalamus.
Substantia nigraA dark band of gray matter in the midbrain. Its Latin name means black substance.
Lateral ventricleA fluid-filled space inside each half of the brain. The caudate nucleus bulges into its outer wall.
InsulaA patch of cortex hidden deep in the lateral sulcus.
ClaustrumA thin sheet of gray matter between the putamen and the insula.
From the side 5
Head of the caudate nucleusThe wide front end of the caudate nucleus.
Body of the caudate nucleusThe middle stretch, which follows the curve of the lateral ventricle.
Tail of the caudate nucleusThe thin end, which curves down and forward into the temporal lobe.
Lentiform nucleus (lenticular nucleus)The putamen and globus pallidus together, shaped like a lens.
AmygdalaA group of nuclei at the end of the tail. It lies in the temporal lobe.
How this list was compiled: Every name checked on 2026-10-01 in at least two of these. (1) Wikipedia, English edition, Basal ganglia, Striatum, Caudate nucleus, Putamen, Globus pallidus, Subthalamic nucleus, Substantia nigra, Internal capsule, Claustrum, Lentiform nucleus and Insular cortex, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Basal_ganglia. (2) Henry Gray, Anatomy of the Human Body (1918), The Fore-brain or Prosencephalon, https://www.bartleby.com/lit-hub/anatomy-of-the-human-body/4c-the-fore-brain-or-prosencephalon/. (3) Neuroscience Online, McGovern Medical School at UTHealth Houston, Section 3, Chapter 4, Basal Ganglia, https://nba.uth.tmc.edu/neuroscience/m/s3/chapter04.html. (4) TeachMeAnatomy, The Basal Ganglia, https://teachmeanatomy.info/neuroanatomy/structures/basal-ganglia/. (5) Kenhub, Basal ganglia, https://www.kenhub.com/en/library/anatomy/basal-ganglia. Detail lines are in our own words. Licence: own work
The drawing: Drawn for this site on 2026-10-01 from plain geometry; nothing traced. Licence: own work
How it works
The basal ganglia, also called the basal nuclei, are masses of gray matter deep in each half of the brain. The first drawing cuts the brain from ear to ear; the second shows the nuclei from the side.
Read the full guide
The cut first, then the side view
Numbers 1 to 3 are the easy ones: the thalamus beside the middle slit, the caudate nucleus at the corner of the lateral ventricle, and the putamen farther out. Numbers 4 and 5 are the two parts of the globus pallidus, inside the putamen. Number 6, the internal capsule, is the striped band; 7 and 8, the subthalamic nucleus and the substantia nigra, lie under the thalamus. Numbers 9 to 11 are the lateral ventricle, the insula and the claustrum. From the side, 12 to 14 are the head, body and tail of the caudate nucleus, 15 is the lentiform nucleus and 16 is the amygdala.
Putamen plus globus pallidus is the lentiform nucleus. Putamen plus caudate nucleus is the striatum. The putamen belongs to both.
From the outside in: insula, claustrum, putamen, outer pallidum, inner pallidum, internal capsule, thalamus.
Questions and answers
What are the parts of the basal ganglia?
The caudate nucleus, the putamen and the globus pallidus in the forebrain, the subthalamic nucleus below the thalamus and the substantia nigra in the midbrain. The nucleus accumbens, where the caudate nucleus and putamen join at the front, is counted too.
Are the basal ganglia and the basal nuclei the same thing?
Yes. Ganglia is the older word. A cluster of nerve cells inside the brain is now called a nucleus, and a ganglion is one outside the brain and spinal cord, so basal nuclei is the more accurate name for the same structures.
Is the claustrum part of the basal ganglia?
Not in modern use. The claustrum and the amygdala were once counted, which is why figures of the basal nuclei and associated structures still show them. They are drawn here as landmarks.
Is this the art labeling activity: the basal nuclei and associated structures?
No. That is the title of a publisher’s homework activity. These two drawings are our own and show the same nuclei, so you can practice the names here. We have no answer key for any activity.