Corpus callosum
NervousOrgansHead
- What it is
- The great arched bridge of white matter at the bottom of the longitudinal fissure, joining the two hemispheres. From front to back: rostrum, genu, body and the thick splenium; it forms the roof of the lateral ventricles.
- Function
- Carries about 200 million axons between matching areas of the left and right cortex so the hemispheres share information.
- Size
- About 7-8 cm long; 0.5-1 cm thick (thickest at the splenium)
- Clinical note
- Cutting it (callosotomy) for intractable epilepsy produces "split-brain" patients who cannot name an object felt with the left hand alone.