Organ
Corpus callosum
Communication between the cerebral hemispheres
High-yield
Identify the genu at the anterior bend, the rostrum below it, the long body, and the thick posterior splenium. These are parts of a commissure connecting the hemispheres.
Overview
The corpus callosum carries axons across the midline so that the hemispheres can share information. Its curved profile is visible on a midsagittal brain section, above the fornix and beneath the cingulate gyrus. Fibers spread from the genu into the frontal lobes as the forceps minor; those from the splenium reach posterior cortical regions, forming the forceps major toward the occipital lobes.
Reference facts
- Location
- Deep in the longitudinal cerebral fissure; its undersurface contributes to the roof of the lateral ventricles
- Parts
- Rostrum, genu, body and splenium; the narrowed region approaching the splenium is the isthmus
- Blood supply
- Mainly anterior cerebral branches, especially pericallosal branches; posterior cerebral branches contribute particularly to the splenium, with arterial connections between territories
- Relations
- Cingulate gyrus superiorly; septum pellucidum and fornix inferiorly; lateral ventricles beneath its radiating fibers
- Function
- Coordinates information exchange between the hemispheres for perception, movement and cognition
Clinical correlation
Damage involving the dominant occipital cortex and splenium can disrupt reading while leaving writing relatively preserved: alexia without agraphia. In the classic disconnection explanation, visual information from the other hemisphere cannot reach the language network effectively.
Frequently asked questions
Where is the corpus callosum located?
Deep in the longitudinal cerebral fissure; its undersurface contributes to the roof of the lateral ventricles.
What does the corpus callosum do?
Coordinates information exchange between the hemispheres for perception, movement and cognition.
What are the parts of the corpus callosum?
Rostrum, genu, body and splenium; the narrowed region approaching the splenium is the isthmus.
What is the blood supply of the corpus callosum?
Mainly anterior cerebral branches, especially pericallosal branches; posterior cerebral branches contribute particularly to the splenium, with arterial connections between territories.