Corpus callosum

From Psy3242

The Corpus Callosum, which contains more than 200 million nerve fibers, connects the left and the right hemispheres of the brain. It is the largest pathway in the human brain and runs right down the middle. When it comes to communication between both hemispheres, the corpus callosum is the main pathway used. Communication is needed when the body needs to coordinate movement or create complex thoughts and ideas. There are other smaller pathways the brain also uses to communicate between hemispheres, but the Corpus Callosum is the most important. The next main pathway is the Anterior Commisure, but it contains a mere 50,000 nerve fibers as compared to the 200 million of the Corpus Callosum.

As the human body develops, so does the Corpus Callosum. The actual structure of the Corpus Callosum finishes developing between 12 and 16 weeks in utero; however, although the structure has finised growing, the fibers in it continue to become more effective and efficient as one grows into an adolescent. By the age of 12, the Corpus Callosum will funtction just as well as it will in adulthood.