Subcommissural organ
The subcommissural organ (SCO) is one of the circumventricular organs of the brain. It is a small glandular structure that is located in the posterior region of the third ventricle, near the entrance of the cerebral aqueduct.
| Subcommissural organ | |
|---|---|
Right midline aspect of a human brain sectioned in the median sagittal plane. The subcommissural organ is not labeled, but the region is visible near the pineal gland. | |
| Details | |
| Identifiers | |
| Latin | organum subcommissurale |
| MeSH | D013351 |
| NeuroNames | 483 |
| NeuroLex ID | birnlex_1028 |
| TA98 | A14.1.08.511 |
| TA2 | 5783 |
| FMA | 72414 |
| Anatomical terms of neuroanatomy | |
The name of the SCO comes from its location beneath the posterior commissure, a bundle of nerve fibers interconnecting parts of the two hemispheres of the brain. The SCO is one of the first differentiated brain structures to develop. Although it is evolutionarily an ancient structure that is present throughout the chordate phylum, its arrangement varies somewhat among species. Functions of the SCO are unknown; some evidence indicates it may participate in clearance of certain compounds from the cerebrospinal fluid, and possibly in morphogenetic mechanisms, such as development of the posterior commissure.