INTRODUCTION
❐ Cortex means “bark” in Latin and appropriately, it is the
outer layer of the brain’s most dominant part, the cerebrum.
❐ It is the bulging wrinkled surface we see when looking at
the brain from any angle.
❐ It is commonly known as gray matter from its color which
contrasts with the white matter in the layer below.
❐ It has an area of 2.2 sqm in human beings and is about 2-
4mm thick.
❐ It is laterally divided into left and right cerebral
hemispheres which are further sub-divided into four lobes –
Frontal, Parietal, Occipital and Temporal
Grey matter is composed of the neuronal cell bodies and dendrites, as well as unmyelinated nerve fibers.
Rounded bulges of the cortex are known as gyri;
grooves are termed sulci when relatively shallow
and fissures when deeper.
The overall patterns of gyri and sulci are similar
but rarely identical among normal brains—
individual variations occur.
SIZE DOES MATTER !
More intelligent animals have
• If the right side of your cerebral increased "uncommitted" or
cortex was rolled out flat, it association areas of the cortex.
would be the size of a large These vast areas of the brain are
pizza. Same with the left side. responsible for integrating and
That makes two large pizzas. acting on information received
Food for thought! and processed by sensory areas
COMPARISON OF THE CEREBRAL CORTEXES OF DIFFERENT MAMMALS
In humans, the cerebral cortex is larger than in other animals and has more folds than the cerebral cortexes of other animals.
FRONTAL LOBE
PARIETAL LOBE
It is located in the forward part of
the brain, extending back to a It is located immediately behind
fissure known as the central sulcus. the frontal lobe, and is involved
It is involved in reasoning, motor in processing information from
control, emotion, and language. the body’s senses.
It contains the motor cortex, It is separated from the frontal
the prefrontal cortex, lobe by the central sulcus.
and Broca’s area, which is It contains the somatosensory
essential for language production.
cortex.
TEMPORAL LOBE OCCIPITAL LOBE
It is located on the side of the It is located at the very back of
head (temporal means “near the the brain.
temples”), and is associated with It contains the primary visual
hearing, memory, emotion, and cortex, which is responsible for
some aspects of language. interpreting incoming visual
The auditory cortex and the information.
Wernicke’s area, important for
speech comprehension are
located within the temporal lobe.
FUNCTIONAL DIVISONS OF THE CEREBRAL CORTEX
The cortex can be divided into three functionally distinct areas: sensory, motor, and associative:
1. SENSORY CORTEX
The sensory cortex is that part of the brain that processes and makes
sense out of information collected by our five senses : vision, audition,
(sound), olfaction(smell), gustation(taste) and
somatosensation(touch).
When our sensory organs, such as our eyes and our tongues, come
into contact with sensory stimulation, such as light waves and food
molecules, our sensory receptors translate that stimulation into neural
signals.
The main sensory areas of the brain include the primary auditory
cortex, primary somatosensory cortex, and primary visual cortex.
Sensory Homonculus
Cross-sectional view
Primary somatosensory
cortex (present at the
front of parietal lobe)
2.MOTOR CORTEX
Motor Homunculus
❐ The motor cortex region is responsible for all voluntary muscle
movements, like taking a drink of water or getting yourself out of bed in
the morning.
❐ The motor region can be divided into three main parts: the primary
motor cortex, the supplementary motor cortex and the premotor cortex.
Cross-sectional view
3. ASSOCATION CORTEX
❐ Association areas are involved in the
integration of information from multiple
brain regions.
❐ This integration can do things like add
complexity to sensory perceptions or
facilitate higher cognitive processes.
❐ For example, the association areas in the
parietal cortex are thought to be involved
with aspects of attention and perceptual
awareness, and association areas in the
frontal cortex are linked to complex
processes like planning, impulse control, and
self awareness.
THE TWO TYPES OF CEREBRAL CORTEX:
Most of the cerebral cortex in humans is
classified as neocortex, which is so named
because it is thought to have appeared relatively
recently in vertebrate evolution.
Neurons in the neocortex are typically arranged in six layers, which are
distinguished from one another by differences in cell type and cell density.
The rest of the cerebral cortex is made up of either allocortex, which has a
more variable pattern of layering, or mesocortex, which is a transition area
between the neocortex and allocortex.
DISORDERS RELATED TO CEREBRAL
CORTEX
There are a number of disorders that result from direct
damage or death of brain cells within the cerebral cortex by
impairing a person’s ability to think, manage emotions, and
behave in a regular, usual way .
As specific areas of the cerebral cortex are generally
responsible for specific types of behavior, the type of
damage determines the exact location and extent of the
injury.
BROCA’S AREA: It is found in the left inferior frontal
gyrus and is involved in the production of coherent speech.
WERNICKE’S AREA: Wernicke's area is located in the
left posterior superior temporal gyrus and is involved in
speech processing and understanding language.
Aphasia: Partial or complete inability to articulate ideas or understand language because of brain injury or
damage.
Broca’s Aphasia – Damage to Broca’s Area causes a person to struggle formulating words while still being
able to comprehend speech.
Wernicke’s Aphasia – Damage to Wernicke’s Area would cause a person only to be able to speak in
meaningless words.
Apraxia: Inability to perform specific motor functions. Apraxia is often observed in those with Alzheimer’s
disease, Parkinson's disorders, and frontal lobe disorders.
Ataxia: Lack of coordination and balance. Characterized by involuntary muscle movements.
CONCLUSION:
The cerebral cortex is the outer layer of our brain that has a wrinkled appearance. It is divided
into fields with specific functions such as sight, hearing, smell, and sensation, and controls
higher functions such as speech, thinking, and memory.
The cerebral cortex is by far the most important area of the human brain, granting it the
capability for advanced reasoning skills, personal identity, and essentially what makes us
human.
The combination of sensory, motor, and association areas accounts for the majority of human
cognition and behavior. Thus, the cerebral cortex is essential to healthy brain function, and
the relatively recent evolution of this structure is sometimes pointed to as the most
significant event in the evolution of the human brain.
