The metencephalon develops from the higher/rostral half of the embryonic rhombencephalon, and is differentiated from the myelencephalon in the embryo by approximately 5 weeks of age.

These regions of the brain are determined by a combination of transcription factors and the signals that change their expression.

The tectum includes the superior and inferior colliculli, which play a part in visual and audio processing.

Its main function is to set up and maintain the barrier between the midbrain and hindbrain, specifically between the mesencephalon and metencephalon.

This gene was originally thought to play a role in the development of the midbrain and hindbrain, but studies have shown that this may not be the case.