Cerebral cortex

Definition

The cerebral cortex is the outer layer of neural tissue of the cerebrum in the brain. It plays a key role in memory, attention, perception, thought, language, and consciousness.

5 Must Know Facts For Your Next Test

1. The cerebral cortex is divided into four lobes: frontal, parietal, temporal, and occipital.
2. It is responsible for higher-order brain functions such as sensation, voluntary muscle movement, reasoning, and problem-solving.
3. The surface of the cerebral cortex is folded into ridges called gyri and grooves called sulci to increase its surface area.
4. The cerebral cortex has two main types of neurons: excitatory pyramidal cells and inhibitory interneurons.
5. It communicates with other parts of the nervous system via white matter tracts.

Review Questions

• What are the primary functions associated with the cerebral cortex?
• Name the four lobes of the cerebral cortex and one function for each lobe.
• Describe how the structure of the cerebral cortex (gyri and sulci) supports its function.

Related terms

FrontalLobe: Part of the cerebral cortex involved in reasoning, motor control, emotion, and language.

ParietalLobe: Region of the cerebral cortex that processes sensory information regarding location of parts of the body as well as interpreting visual information.

OccipitalLobe: The rearmost lobe in each cerebral hemisphere responsible for visual processing.