biological morphology Morphology is a branch of biology dealing with the study of the form and structure of organisms and their specific structural features. This includes aspects of the outward appearance (shape, structure, colour, pattern, size), i.e. external mo ...

and

anatomy Anatomy () is the branch of biology concerned with the study of the structure of organisms and their parts. Anatomy is a branch of natural science that deals with the structural organization of living things. It is an old science, having its ...

, a sulcus (pl. ''sulci'') is a furrow or fissure (

Latin Latin (, or , ) is a classical language belonging to the Italic branch of the Indo-European languages. Latin was originally a dialect spoken in the lower Tiber area (then known as Latium) around present-day Rome, but through the power of the ...

''fissura'',

plural The plural (sometimes abbreviated pl., pl, or ), in many languages, is one of the values of the grammatical category of number. The plural of a noun typically denotes a quantity greater than the default quantity represented by that noun. This de ...

''fissurae''). It may be a groove, natural division, deep furrow, elongated cleft, or tear in the surface of a limb or an organ, most notably on the surface of the

brain A brain is an organ that serves as the center of the nervous system in all vertebrate and most invertebrate animals. It is located in the head, usually close to the sensory organs for senses such as vision. It is the most complex organ in a v ...

, but also in the

lung The lungs are the primary organs of the respiratory system in humans and most other animals, including some snails and a small number of fish. In mammals and most other vertebrates, two lungs are located near the backbone on either side of t ...

s, certain

muscle Skeletal muscles (commonly referred to as muscles) are organs of the vertebrate muscular system and typically are attached by tendons to bones of a skeleton. The muscle cells of skeletal muscles are much longer than in the other types of muscl ...

s (including the

heart The heart is a muscular organ in most animals. This organ pumps blood through the blood vessels of the circulatory system. The pumped blood carries oxygen and nutrients to the body, while carrying metabolic waste such as carbon dioxide t ...

), as well as in

bones A bone is a rigid organ that constitutes part of the skeleton in most vertebrate animals. Bones protect the various other organs of the body, produce red and white blood cells, store minerals, provide structure and support for the body, an ...

, and elsewhere. Many sulci are the product of a surface fold or junction, such as in the

gums The gums or gingiva (plural: ''gingivae'') consist of the mucosal tissue that lies over the mandible and maxilla inside the mouth. Gum health and disease can have an effect on general health. Structure The gums are part of the soft tissue linin ...

, where they fold around the

neck The neck is the part of the body on many vertebrates that connects the head with the torso. The neck supports the weight of the head and protects the nerves that carry sensory and motor information from the brain down to the rest of the body. In ...

of the tooth. In

invertebrate zoology Invertebrate zoology is the subdiscipline of zoology that consists of the study of invertebrates, animals without a backbone (a structure which is found only in fish, amphibians, reptiles, birds and mammals). Invertebrates are a vast and very di ...

, a sulcus is a fold, groove, or boundary, especially at the edges of

sclerite A sclerite (Greek , ', meaning "hard") is a hardened body part. In various branches of biology the term is applied to various structures, but not as a rule to vertebrate anatomical features such as bones and teeth. Instead it refers most commonly ...

s or between segments. In

pollen Pollen is a powdery substance produced by seed plants. It consists of pollen grains (highly reduced microgametophytes), which produce male gametes (sperm cells). Pollen grains have a hard coat made of sporopollenin that protects the gametophyt ...

a grain that is grooved by a sulcus is termed

sulcate Pollen is a powdery substance produced by seed plants. It consists of pollen grains (highly reduced microgametophytes), which produce male gametes (sperm cells). Pollen grains have a hard coat made of sporopollenin that protects the gametop ...

Examples in anatomy

Liver

Ligamentum teres hepatis The round ligament of the liver (or ligamentum teres, or ligamentum teres hepatis) is a ligament that forms part of the free edge of the falciform ligament of the liver. It connects the liver to the umbilicus. It is the remnant of the left umbil ...

fissure *

Ligamentum venosum The ligamentum venosum, also known as Arantius' ligament, is the fibrous remnant of the ductus venosus of the fetal circulation. Usually, it is attached to the left branch of the portal vein within the porta hepatis. It may be continuous with the r ...

fissure *

Portal fissure Portal often refers to: *Portal (architecture), an opening in a wall of a building, gate or fortification, or the extremities (ends) of a tunnel Portal may also refer to: Arts and entertainment Gaming * ''Portal'' (series), two video games ...

, found in the under-surface of the

liver The liver is a major Organ (anatomy), organ only found in vertebrates which performs many essential biological functions such as detoxification of the organism, and the Protein biosynthesis, synthesis of proteins and biochemicals necessary for ...

Transverse fissure of liver The porta hepatis or transverse fissure of the liver is a short but deep fissure, about 5 cm long, extending transversely beneath the left portion of the right lobe of the liver, nearer its posterior surface than its anterior border. It join ...

, found in the lower surface of the liver *

Umbilical fissure Umbilical may refer to: *Umbilical cable *Umbilical cord *Umbilical fold *Umbilical hernia *Umbilical notch *Umbilical vessels **Umbilical artery **Umbilical vein *Umbilical zone *The Umbilical Brothers, two Australian comedic performers, David a ...

, found in front of the

Lung

*Azygos fissure, of

right lung The lungs are the primary Organ (anatomy), organs of the respiratory system in humans and most other animals, including some snails and a small number of fish. In mammals and most other vertebrates, two lungs are located near the vertebral co ...

Horizontal fissure of right lung The lungs are the primary organs of the respiratory system in humans and most other animals, including some snails and a small number of fish. In mammals and most other vertebrates, two lungs are located near the backbone on either side of th ...

Oblique fissure The lungs are the primary organs of the respiratory system in humans and most other animals, including some snails and a small number of fish. In mammals and most other vertebrates, two lungs are located near the backbone on either side of th ...

, of the right and left lungs

Skull

Auricular fissure Auricular may refer to anything heard, such as "auricular evidence", or: Medicine and anatomy * A relational adjective, as in the auricular branch of vagus nerve, used to delineate a relationship to the ear and its structures * A synonym for ''atr ...

, found in the

temporal bone The temporal bones are situated at the sides and base of the skull, and lateral to the temporal lobes of the cerebral cortex. The temporal bones are overlaid by the sides of the head known as the temples, and house the structures of the ears. Th ...

Petrotympanic fissure The petrotympanic fissure (also known as the squamotympanic fissure or the glaserian fissure) is a fissure in the temporal bone that runs from the temporomandibular joint to the tympanic cavity. The mandibular fossa is bounded, in front, by the a ...

* Pterygomaxillary fissure *

Sphenoidal fissure The superior orbital fissure is a foramen or cleft of the skull between the lesser and greater wings of the sphenoid bone. It gives passage to multiple structures, including the oculomotor nerve, trochlear nerve, ophthalmic nerve, abducens nerve, ...

, separates the wings and the body of the sphenoid bone *

Superior orbital fissure The superior orbital fissure is a foramen or cleft of the skull between the lesser and greater wings of the sphenoid bone. It gives passage to multiple structures, including the oculomotor nerve, trochlear nerve, ophthalmic nerve, abducens ner ...

Other types

anal fissure An anal fissure is a break or tear in the skin of the anal canal. Anal fissures may be noticed by bright red anal bleeding on toilet paper and undergarments, or sometimes in the toilet. If acute they are painful after defecation, but with chroni ...

, a break or tear in the skin of the anal canal *

anterior interventricular sulcus The anterior interventricular sulcus (or anterior longitudinal sulcus) is one of two grooves separating the ventricles of the heart (the other being the posterior interventricular sulcus). It is situated on the sternocostal surface of the heart ...

calcaneal sulcus In humans and many other primates, the calcaneus (; from the Latin ''calcaneus'' or ''calcaneum'', meaning heel) or heel bone is a bone of the Tarsus (skeleton), tarsus of the foot which constitutes the heel. In some other animals, it is the poin ...

coronal sulcus In male human anatomy, the glans penis, commonly referred to as the glans, is the bulbous structure at the distal end of the human penis that is the human male's most sensitive erogenous zone and their primary anatomical source of sexual ple ...

* femoral sulcus or

intercondylar fossa of femur The intercondylar fossa of femur (intercondyloid fossa of femur, intercondylar notch of femur) is a deep notch between the rear surfaces of the medial and lateral epicondyle of the femur, two protrusions on the distal end of the femur (thigh bon ...

* fissure (dentistry), a break in the tooth enamel *

fissure of the nipple Fissure of the nipple, colloquially referred to as "jogger's nipple", is a Disease, condition that is the result of Chafing (skin), chafing of one or both nipples. This can occur in both men and women during physical exercise such as long-distance ...

, a condition that results from running, breastfeeding and other friction-causing exposures *

fissured tongue Fissured tongue is a benign condition characterized by deep grooves (fissures) in the dorsum of the tongue. Although these grooves may look unsettling, the condition is usually painless. Some individuals may complain of an associated burning sen ...

, a condition characterized by deep grooves (fissures) in the tongue *

gingival sulcus The gingival sulcus is an area of potential space between a tooth and the surrounding gingival tissue and is lined by sulcular epithelium. The depth of the sulcus (Latin for ''groove'') is bounded by two entities: apically by the gingival fi ...

gluteal sulcus The gluteal sulcus (also known as the gluteal fold, fold of the buttock or horizontal gluteal crease) is an area of the body of humans and anthropoid apes, described by a horizontal crease formed by the inferior aspect of the buttocks and the pos ...

* Henle's fissure, a fissure in the connective tissue between the muscle fibers of the

interlabial sulci The labia are part of the female genitalia; they are the major externally visible portions of the vulva. In humans, there are two pairs of labia: the ''labia majora'' (or the outer labia) are larger and thicker, while the '' labia minora'' are f ...

intermammary sulcus The intermammary cleft or intermammary sulcus or sulcus intermammarius is a Surface anatomy, surface feature of males and females that marks the division of the two breasts with the sternum (breastbone) in the middle.Dr. Ted Eisenberg and Joyce K ...

intertubercular sulcus The bicipital groove (intertubercular groove, sulcus intertubercularis) is a deep groove on the humerus that separates the greater tubercle from the lesser tubercle. It allows for the long tendon of the biceps brachii muscle to pass. Structure ...

, the groove between the lesser and greater tubercules of the humerus (bone of the upper arm) *

lacrimal sulcus On the nasal surface of the body of the maxilla, in front of the opening of the sinus is a deep groove, the lacrimal groove (or lacrimal sulcus), which is converted into the nasolacrimal canal, by the lacrimal bone and inferior nasal concha; this ...

(sulcus lacrimalis) *

malleolar sulcus Also known as the Malleolar groove. There are two malleolar sulci, medial and lateral. The medial malleolar sulcus is the posto-inferior groove just lateral to the medial malleolus on the distal part of the tibia. It is where the tendons of th ...

palpebral fissure The palpebral fissure is the elliptic space between the medial and lateral canthi of the two open eyelids. In simple terms, it is the opening between the eyelids. In adult humans, this measures about 10 mm vertically and 30 mm horizontally. Va ...

, separates the upper and lower eyelids * patellar sulcus or

posterior interventricular sulcus The posterior interventricular sulcus or posterior longitudinal sulcus is one of the two grooves that separates the ventricles of the heart The heart is a muscular Organ (biology), organ in most animals. This organ pumps blood through th ...

* preauricular sulcus *

radial sulcus The radial groove (also known as the musculospiral groove, radial sulcus, or spiral groove) is a broad but shallow oblique depression for the radial nerve and deep brachial artery. It is located on the center of the lateral border of the humerus ...

(

musculospiral groove The radial groove (also known as the musculospiral groove, radial sulcus, or spiral groove) is a broad but shallow oblique depression for the radial nerve and deep brachial artery. It is located on the center of the lateral border of the humerus ...

) *

sagittal sulcus The sagittal sulcus is a midline groove that runs across the internal surfaces of part of the squamous part of the frontal bone, the parietal bones, and part of the occipital bones. The sagittal sulcus accommodates the superior sagittal sinus. ...

* separatoral sulcus (depression behind the

brow ridges The brow ridge, or supraorbital ridge known as superciliary arch in medicine, is a bony ridge located above the eye sockets of all primates. In humans, the eyebrows are located on their lower margin. Structure The brow ridge is a nodule or crest ...

of some primates) *

sigmoid sulcus Sigmoid means resembling the lower-case Greek letter sigma (uppercase Σ, lowercase σ, lowercase in word-final position ς) or the Latin letter S. Specific uses include: * Sigmoid function, a mathematical function * Sigmoid colon, part of the ...

skin fissure A skin fissure is a cutaneous condition in which there is a linear-like cleavage of skin, sometimes defined as extending into the dermis. 18. FISSURE">Primary Care Dermatology Module > Nomenclature of Skin Lesions > 18. FISSUREBy Gary Williams, ...

, a linear-like cleavage of skin, sometimes defined as extending into the dermis * sulcus arteriæ vertebralis *

sulcus subtarsalis Sulcus subtarsalis is a groove in the inner surface of eyelid near the eyelid margin and which is also parallel to it. This separates marginal conjunctiva The conjunctiva is a thin mucous membrane that lines the inside of the eyelids and cov ...

in the eyelid * sulcus tubae auditivae * tympanic sulcus *

urethral sulcus The urethra (from Greek οὐρήθρα – ''ourḗthrā'') is a tube that connects the urinary bladder to the urinary meatus for the removal of urine from the body of both females and males. In human females and other primates, the urethra con ...

Larkins, Christine E., and Martin J. Cohn.
Phallus development in the turtle Trachemys scripta
" Sexual Development 9.1 (2015): 34-42. * Ventral median fissure, of the spinal cord

In neuroanatomy

Brain

*'' Broca's fissure'': found in the third left frontal fold of the brain. *'' Burdach's fissure'': connects the brain's insula and the inner surface of the operculum. *''

Calcarine sulcus 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 ...

'' or ''Calcerine fissure'': extends from the occipital of the

cerebrum The cerebrum, telencephalon or endbrain is the largest part of the brain containing the cerebral cortex (of the two cerebral hemispheres), as well as several subcortical structures, including the hippocampus, basal ganglia, and olfactory bulb. In ...

to the occipital fissure. *'' Callosomarginal fissure'': found in the medial surface of the cerebrum. *''

Central sulcus In neuroanatomy, the central sulcus (also central fissure, fissure of Rolando, or Rolandic fissure, after Luigi Rolando) is a sulcus, or groove, in the cerebral cortex in the brains of vertebrates. It is sometimes confused with the longitudinal ...

or ''Rolando's fissure'': separates the brain's

frontal Front may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Films * ''The Front'' (1943 film), a 1943 Soviet drama film * ''The Front'', 1976 film Music * The Front (band), an American rock band signed to Columbia Records and active in the 1980s and e ...

and

parietal lobe The parietal lobe is one of the four major lobes of the cerebral cortex in the brain of mammals. The parietal lobe is positioned above the temporal lobe and behind the frontal lobe and central sulcus. The parietal lobe integrates sensory informa ...

s. *'' Clevenger's fissure'': found in the inferior temporal lobe of the brain *''

Collateral fissure The collateral fissure (or sulcus) is on the tentorial surface of the hemisphere and extends from near the occipital pole to within a short distance of the temporal pole. Behind, it lies below and lateral to the calcarine fissure, from which it ...

'': found in the inferior surface of the cerebrum. *''

Fissure of Bichat A fissure is a long, narrow crack opening along the surface of Earth. The term is derived from the Latin word , which means 'cleft' or 'crack'. Fissures emerge in Earth's crust, on ice sheets and glaciers, and on volcanoes. Ground fissure A ...

'': found below 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 mam ...

in the

cerebellum The cerebellum (Latin for "little brain") is a major feature of the hindbrain of all vertebrates. Although usually smaller than the cerebrum, in some animals such as the mormyrid fishes it may be as large as or even larger. In humans, the cerebel ...

of the

. *''

Lateral sulcus In neuroanatomy, the lateral sulcus (also called Sylvian fissure, after Franciscus Sylvius, or lateral fissure) is one of the most prominent features of the human brain. The lateral sulcus is a deep fissure in each hemisphere that separates the ...

'' or ''Fissure of Sylvius'': separates the frontal and parietal lobes of the brain from the temporal lobe. *''

Hippocampal sulcus The hippocampal sulcus, also known as the hippocampal fissure, is a sulcus that separates the dentate gyrus from the subiculum and the CA1 field in the hippocampus. Structure Development During human fetal development, the hippocampal sulcus ...

'': a sulcus that extends from the brain's corpus callosum to the tip of the temporal lobe. *'' Horizontal fissure or Transverse fissure'': found between the cerebrum and the cerebellum. Note that a "transverse fissure" can also be found in the

and

s. *''

Longitudinal fissure The longitudinal fissure (or cerebral fissure, great longitudinal fissure, median longitudinal fissure, interhemispheric fissure) is the deep groove that separates the two cerebral hemispheres of the vertebrate brain. Lying within it is a continu ...

'' or ''Medial longitudinal fissure'': which divides the cerebrum into the two hemispheres. *'' Occipitoparietal fissure'': found between the occipital and parietal lobes of the brain. *''

Wernicke's fissure Wernicke syndrome is an ambiguous term. It may refer to: * Wernicke aphasia: the eponymous term for receptive or sensory aphasia. *Wernicke encephalopathy: an acute neurological syndrome of ophthalmoparesis, ataxia, and encephalopathy brought on b ...

'': separates the brain's temporal and parietal lobes from the occipital lobe. *'' Zygal fissure'': found in the cerebrum. In the

a sulcus is a groove formed in the stage of

gyrification Gyrification is the process of forming the characteristic folds of the cerebral cortex. The peak of such a fold is called a ''gyrus'' (pl. ''gyri''), and its trough is called a '' sulcus'' (pl. ''sulci''). The neurons of the cerebral cortex re ...

by the folding of the

cortex Cortex or cortical may refer to: Biology * Cortex (anatomy), the outermost layer of an organ ** Cerebral cortex, the outer layer of the vertebrate cerebrum, part of which is the ''forebrain'' *** Motor cortex, the regions of the cerebral cortex i ...

. There are many sulci and

gyri 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 ma ...

formed. A larger than usual sulcus may instead be called a

fissure A fissure is a long, narrow crack opening along the surface of Earth. The term is derived from the Latin word , which means 'cleft' or 'crack'. Fissures emerge in Earth's crust, on ice sheets and glaciers, and on volcanoes. Ground fissure ...

such as the

longitudinal fissure The longitudinal fissure (or cerebral fissure, great longitudinal fissure, median longitudinal fissure, interhemispheric fissure) is the deep groove that separates the two cerebral hemispheres of the vertebrate brain. Lying within it is a continu ...

that separates the two hemispheres.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Sulcus (Anatomy) Anatomy