Synonyms
Commissural magna; Corporis callosi; Interhemispheric commissure
Definition
Corpus callosum is the largest axonal tract of the adult brain that provides symmetrical connections between the two hemispheres.
Current Knowledge
The corpus callosum is the largest commissure of the adult brain that provides a bridge for the passing of information from one cerebral hemisphere to the other by 200–300 million myelinated and unmyelinated axons. The size of the corpus callosum varies greatly but is generally larger in females than in males. In the human, the corpus callosum begins development around the 11th week of gestation and continues through adolescence. Initially, the corpus callosum is composed of astrocytic processes, which serve as conduits for growing axons extending to the contralateral hemisphere. This interhemispheric commissure lies beneath the cortex at the bottom of the cerebral longitudinal fissure. It forms much of the roof of the lateral ventricles and is composed of...
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References and Readings
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Dupree, J. (2018). Corpus Callosum. In: Kreutzer, J.S., DeLuca, J., Caplan, B. (eds) Encyclopedia of Clinical Neuropsychology. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-57111-9_308
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-57111-9_308
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Publisher Name: Springer, Cham
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Online ISBN: 978-3-319-57111-9
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