A large scientific encyclopedia article for a scientific and technical site on behalf of an outstanding scientist and doctor of sciences on the topic “Cerebral Cortex”.
The cerebral cortex is the largest part of the brain in vertebrates, consisting of up to six layers of densely packed neurons. It is located in the forebrain above the thalamus and below the cerebellum. The cerebral cortex is responsible for higher cognitive functions such as language, memory, executive function, and consciousness. It also plays a role in sensory processing, motor control, and attention.
The cerebral cortex is divided into four main lobes: the frontal lobe, parietal lobe, temporal lobe, and occipital lobe. Each lobe has a specific set of functions. The frontal lobe is involved in motor control, planning, decision-making, and working memory. The parietal lobe processes information from the senses (touch, pressure, pain), integrates this information with visual input from the occipital lobe (sight), and is also involved in spatial awareness (knowing where your body is in space). The temporal lobe processes auditory input (sound) from the ears and helps with long-term memory storage. The occipital lobe processes visual input from the eyes.
The cerebral cortex contains many different types of neurons that are organized into columns and layers. Neurons in different layers have different functions. For example, neurons in layer 4 are responsible for sending signals to other parts of the brain or spinal cord; whereas neurons in layer 6 are involved in processing complex inputs from other cortical areas (such as vision or language). There are over 100 billion neurons in the human cerebral cortex!