fissural

Fissural is an adjective meaning relating to a fissure, a long narrow opening or split in a structure. The term derives from the Latin fissura, meaning a crack or cleft, and is used across several scientific fields to describe features associated with such splits.

In anatomy and medicine, fissural describes structures that are or lie along fissures. It is commonly applied to the brain’s major grooves, or fissures, such as the longitudinal and Sylvian fissures, which serve as anatomical landmarks in imaging, neurosurgical planning, and anatomical nomenclature. Descriptions of fissural depth, pattern, or involvement are common in radiology and surgical discourse.

In geology and earth science, fissural refers to features produced by stress-induced fractures in rocks, including joints and cleavage planes. Fissural features influence rock permeability, fracture networks, and the mechanical behavior of geological formations.

The term may also appear in botany and paleobotany to describe fissured surfaces or seed coats, though such usage is less common and more specialized.

See also: fissure, fissuration, brain fissures.