Calcarine fissure

Calcarine Fissure

The calcarine fissure or calcarine sulcus is a significant anatomical structure located in the human brain. It is a deep groove, or sulcus, found in the occipital lobe, which is the visual processing center of the mammalian brain. The calcarine fissure plays a crucial role in the processing of visual information.

Anatomy

The calcarine fissure begins near the occipital pole and runs forward to a point slightly above the posterior part of the corpus callosum. It is located on the medial surface of the brain, forming the upper boundary of the cuneus and the lower boundary of the lingual gyrus.

Function

The calcarine fissure is primarily associated with the processing of visual information. The upper bank of the calcarine fissure processes the lower visual field, while the lower bank processes the upper visual field. This is due to the retinotopic organization of the visual pathways in the brain.

Clinical Significance

Damage to the calcarine fissure can result in visual field defects, such as hemianopia, which is the loss of half of the visual field. This is because the calcarine fissure contains the primary visual cortex, which is responsible for processing visual information.

See Also

• Visual cortex
• Occipital lobe
• Human brain
• Visual field

References

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