Decussation is used in biological contexts to describe a crossing (due to the shape of the Roman numeral for ten, an uppercase 'X' ( decussis), from Latin decem 'ten', and as ' as'). In Latin anatomical terms, the form decussatio is used, e.g. decussatio pyramidum.
Similarly, the anatomical term chiasma is named after the Greek uppercase 'Χ' ( chi). Whereas a decussation refers to a crossing within the central nervous system, various kinds of crossings in the peripheral nervous system are called chiasma.
Examples include:
The origin of the contralateral organization, the optic chiasm and the major decussations on the nervous system of vertebrates has been a long standing puzzle to scientists. [2] The visual map theory of Ramón y Cajal has long been popular [3] [4] but has been criticized for its logical inconsistence. [5] More recently, it has been proposed that the decussations are caused by an axial twist by which the anterior head, along with the forebrain, is turned by 180° with respect to the rest of the body. [6] [7]
Decussation is used in biological contexts to describe a crossing (due to the shape of the Roman numeral for ten, an uppercase 'X' ( decussis), from Latin decem 'ten', and as ' as'). In Latin anatomical terms, the form decussatio is used, e.g. decussatio pyramidum.
Similarly, the anatomical term chiasma is named after the Greek uppercase 'Χ' ( chi). Whereas a decussation refers to a crossing within the central nervous system, various kinds of crossings in the peripheral nervous system are called chiasma.
Examples include:
The origin of the contralateral organization, the optic chiasm and the major decussations on the nervous system of vertebrates has been a long standing puzzle to scientists. [2] The visual map theory of Ramón y Cajal has long been popular [3] [4] but has been criticized for its logical inconsistence. [5] More recently, it has been proposed that the decussations are caused by an axial twist by which the anterior head, along with the forebrain, is turned by 180° with respect to the rest of the body. [6] [7]