Posterior limb of internal capsule

The posterior limb of internal capsule (or occipital part) is the portion of the internal capsule posterior to the genu.

Anterior

The anterior two-thirds of the occipital part of the internal capsule contains fibers of the corticospinal tract, which arise in the motor area of the cerebral cortex and, passing downward through the middle three-fifths of the base of the cerebral peduncle, are continued into the pyramids of the medulla oblongata.

Posterior

The posterior third of the occipital part contains:

• (1) sensory fibers, largely derived from the thalamus, though some may be continued upward from the medial lemniscus;
• (2) the fibers of optic radiation, from the lower visual centers to the cortex of the occipital lobe;
• (3) acoustic fibers, from the lateral lemniscus to the temporal lobe; and
• (4) fibers which pass from the occipital and temporal lobes to the nuclei pontis.

External links

• Atlas of anatomy at UMich n2a1p5
• http://www.indiana.edu/~pietsch/icdrawing250.jpg

This article was originally based on an entry from a public domain edition of Gray's Anatomy. As such, some of the information contained within it may be outdated.