Definition

1. Noun:
   • A band of nerve tissue connecting two parts, especially across the midline: In anatomy and neurology, a "commissure" is a bundle of nerve fibers that connects similar structures on the left and right sides of the brain or spinal cord, allowing for communication between the two hemispheres.
   • A joint, seam, or line where two parts meet or unite: In a broader anatomical or biological sense, a "commissure" can refer to the line of junction between two parts, such as the lips or the eyelids.

Usage Examples

• Noun:
  • The corpus callosum is the largest commissure in the human brain.
  • Damage to the anterior commissure can affect the sense of smell.
  • The surgeon carefully sutured the commissure of the patient's lips.

Advanced Usage

• "Commissural fibers": This term specifically refers to the nerve fibers that make up a commissure, crossing the midline to connect corresponding areas of the two sides of the central nervous system.
  • The MRI scan showed a reduction in commissural fibers.

Variants and Related Words

• Commissural (adj): Pertaining to or of the nature of a commissure.
  • The commissural pathway is essential for bilateral coordination.

Synonyms

• Connection: A more general term for something that connects.
• Juncture: A point where two parts are joined.
• Chiasm: Specifically a crossing, like the optic chiasm, which is a type of commissure.

Noun

1. a bundle of nerve fibers passing from one side to the other of the brain or spinal cord