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Decussation is used in biological contexts to describe a crossing.[1]
Examples include:
- In the brain, where nerve fibers cross from one lateral part to the other.
- In phyllotaxis when an opposite pattern of leaves has successive leaf pairs that are perpendicular, it is called decussate.
- In tooth enamel, where bundles of rods (rods are the basic structural unit of enamel) cross each other as they travel from the enamel-dentine junction to the outer enamel surface (or near to it).
In the brain
Examples in the brain include:
Here, a decussation refers to the crossing of millions of axons. To achieve this, there needs to be a tight control in order to have as few errors as possible. The advantage of having such a complicated system may be to compensate for the 180 degree inversion in visual perception through the eye.[2] In addition, it may provide a more robust structure.[3]
References
- ^ decussatio at eMedicine Dictionary
- ^ Decussation explanation Neurodudes
- ^ Why decussate? - Topological constraints on 3D wiring Troy Shinbrot* and Wise Young†Rutgers University
See also
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- This page was last modified on 4 October 2008, at 21:18.
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