In
neuroanatomy
Neuroanatomy is the study of the structure and organization of the nervous system. In contrast to animals with radial symmetry, whose nervous system consists of a distributed network of cells, animals with bilateral symmetry have segregated, defi ...
, the parieto-occipital sulcus (also called the parieto-occipital fissure) is a deep
sulcus in the
cerebral cortex
The cerebral cortex, also known as the cerebral mantle, is the outer layer of neural tissue of the cerebrum of the brain in humans and other mammals. The cerebral cortex mostly consists of the six-layered neocortex, with just 10% consistin ...
that marks the boundary between the
cuneus
The cuneus (; plural cunei) is a smaller lobe in the occipital lobe of the brain. The cuneus is bounded anteriorly by the parieto-occipital sulcus and inferiorly by the calcarine sulcus.
Function
The cuneus (Brodmann area 17) receives visua ...
and
precuneus
In neuroanatomy, the precuneus is the portion of the superior parietal lobule on the medial surface of each brain hemisphere. It is located in front of the cuneus (the upper portion of the occipital lobe). The precuneus is bounded in front by th ...
, and also between the
parietal and
occipital lobe
The occipital lobe is one of the four major lobes of the cerebral cortex in the brain of mammals. The name derives from its position at the back of the head, from the Latin ''ob'', "behind", and ''caput'', "head".
The occipital lobe is the vi ...
s. Only a small part can be seen on the lateral surface of the hemisphere, its chief part being on the medial surface.
The lateral part of the parieto-occipital sulcus (Fig. 726) is situated about 5 cm in front of the
occipital pole
The vertebrate cerebrum (brain) is formed by two cerebral hemispheres that are separated by a groove, the longitudinal fissure. The brain can thus be described as being divided into left and right cerebral hemispheres. Each of these hemispheres ...
of the hemisphere, and measures about 1.25 cm. in length.
The medial part of the parieto-occipital sulcus (Fig. 727) runs downward and forward as a deep cleft on the medial surface of the hemisphere, and joins the
calcarine fissure
The calcarine sulcus (or calcarine fissure) is an anatomical landmark located at the caudal end of the medial surface of the brain of humans and other primates. Its name comes from the Latin "calcar" meaning "spur". It is very deep, and known as ...
below and behind the posterior end of the
corpus callosum
The corpus callosum (Latin for "tough body"), also callosal commissure, is a wide, thick nerve tract, consisting of a flat bundle of commissural fibers, beneath the cerebral cortex in the brain. The corpus callosum is only found in placental m ...
. In most cases, it contains a submerged
gyrus
In neuroanatomy, a gyrus (pl. gyri) is a ridge on the cerebral cortex. It is generally surrounded by one or more sulci (depressions or furrows; sg. ''sulcus''). Gyri and sulci create the folded appearance of the brain in humans and other ...
.
Function
The parieto-occipital lobe has been found in various neuroimaging studies, including
PET
A pet, or companion animal, is an animal kept primarily for a person's company or entertainment rather than as a working animal, livestock, or a laboratory animal. Popular pets are often considered to have attractive appearances, intelligence ...
(positron-emission-tomography) studies, and
SPECT
Single-photon emission computed tomography (SPECT, or less commonly, SPET) is a nuclear medicine tomographic imaging technique using gamma rays. It is very similar to conventional nuclear medicine planar imaging using a gamma camera (that is, ...
(single-photon emission computed tomography) studies,
to be involved along with the
dorsolateral prefrontal cortex
The dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC or DL-PFC) is an area in the prefrontal cortex of the primate brain. It is one of the most recently derived parts of the human brain. It undergoes a prolonged period of maturation which lasts until adultho ...
during
planning.
Gallery
File:Parieto-occipital sulcus animation small.gif, Animation of left cerebral hemisphere
The vertebrate cerebrum (brain) is formed by two cerebral hemispheres that are separated by a groove, the longitudinal fissure. The brain can thus be described as being divided into left and right cerebral hemispheres. Each of these hemispheres ...
. Parieto-occipital sulcus shown in red.
File:LobesCaptsMedial1.png, Medial surface of right hemisphere. Parieto-occipital sulcus labeled at top right as "*"
File:Human Brain Dissected.jpg, Medial surface of left hemisphere. Parieto-occipital sulcus visible at top left.
File:Cerebral Hemisphere Demonstration - Sanjoy Sanyal - Neuroscience Lab Fall 2013 (cropped from 2m36s to 4m40s) - Parietooccipital sulcus.webm, Human brain dissection video (1 min 52 sec). Demonstrating location of parieto-occipital sulcus of left cerebral hemisphere.
References
External links
*
* https://web.archive.org/web/20070316043257/http://www2.umdnj.edu/~neuro/studyaid/Practical2000/Q30.htm
{{Authority control
Sulci (neuroanatomy)
Articles containing video clips
Medial surface of cerebral hemisphere