Cerebral Cortex

Published: 17.01.2009
Updated: 09.07.2015
Thin, convoluted, outer layer of the brain
Composed of gray matter
Part of the Endocrine System - Psychic Centres Location of the Centre of Wisdom (Jnana Kendra). Top of Head

The cerebral cortex is a structure within the brain that plays a key role in memory, attention, perceptual awareness, thought, language, and consciousness. In dead, preserved brains, the outermost layer of the cerebrum has a grey color, hence the name 'grey matter'. Grey matter is formed by neurons and their unmyelinated fibers, whereas the white matter below the grey matter of the cortex is formed predominantly by myelinated axons interconnecting different regions of the central nervous system. The human cerebral cortex is 2–4 mm (0.08–0.16 inches) thick.

Birthplace of man's higher mental functions. It receives signals via the thalamus from all sense-organs and sends signals to the lower parts. Each neuron of its receptive areas represents some external feature and those of its motor areas represent movements of muscles.

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Some texts contain  footnotes  and  glossary  entries. To distinguish between them, the links have different colors.
  1. Brain
  2. Centre of Wisdom
  3. Cerebrum
  4. Consciousness
  5. Endocrine System
  6. Jnana
  7. Jnana Kendra
  8. Kendra
  9. Psychic Centres
  10. Thalamus
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