Postcentralis Gyrus, Lateral View

Description

Seen from the lateral aspect of a male cerebral hemisphere, the postcentral gyrus (gyrus postcentralis) forms a vertically oriented ridge of parietal cortex immediately posterior to the central sulcus, extending from the superomedial margin toward the lateral (Sylvian) fissure. Anterior to it lies the precentral gyrus of the frontal lobe, while the parietal lobe continues posteriorly toward the supramarginal and angular gyri. Inferoposteriorly, the cerebellum occupies the posterior cranial fossa and the brainstem descends caudally, providing clear orientation for the posterior fossa relative to the cerebral convexity. Functionally, the postcentral gyrus corresponds to primary somatosensory cortex (S1, Brodmann areas 3, 1, and 2), the cortical target of thalamocortical projections conveying discriminative touch, proprioception, vibration, and pain. This relationship to the central sulcus matters in practice because small infarcts in the parietal opercular region can produce contralateral sensory loss or cortical sensory deficits (agraphesthesia, astereognosis) even when motor strength remains intact. The lateral surface also frames the “hand knob” region near the mid-lateral central sulcus, a frequent landmark when correlating neurologic exam findings with lesion location. Use this illustration for neuroanatomy teaching on cortical lobes and sulcal landmarks, for neurology texts explaining somatosensory homunculus localization on the lateral convexity, and for neurosurgical or neuroradiology materials that orient readers to the central sulcus when planning approaches or interpreting stroke and tumor topography. It also suits patient-facing stroke education where a clean lateral brain view helps connect numbness patterns to parietal cortex anatomy. Anatomical accuracy verified by SciePro's Medical Advisory Board.