rhinal sulcus

Descriptions of the human brain identify the rhinencephalon as a longitudinal elevation, with a corresponding internal furrow, on the under surface of the hemisphere close to the lamina terminalis. The rhinal sulcus, also called the external rhinal fissure, is the furrow that separates this elevation from the lateral surface of the hemisphere. Posteriorly the elevation is continuous with the part of the hemisphere that ultimately forms the anterior end of the temporal lobe, so the sulcus marks a boundary between olfactory-related cortex and the neighbouring lateral surface. Its Latin designation is fissura rhinalis, and it is classified among the sulci of the brain. Like other named sulci, it is defined as a surface landmark of the hemisphere rather than by a function of its own, and its value in description lies in the territories it delimits.