cerebral cortex Flashcards
nucleus definition
collection of neuron cells bodies in the CNS
tract definition
collection of axons in the CNS
ganglia definition
collection of neuron cell bodies in the PNS
cerebrum
- largest part of the brain
- controls higher mental functions (conscious thoughts and experience)
- processes somatic sensory and motor information
- divided into left and right cerebral hemispheres
gray matter
cell bodies
where is gray matter found
- cerebral cortex
- basal nuclei (ganglia)
- caudate nucleus
- lentiform nucleus
white matter
- myelinated axons that connect cerebral cortex with other brain regions
- deep to cerebral cortex
- surrounds basal nuclei
corpus callosum function
connects white matter of both hemispheres
where is the cerebral cortex thickest
over the crest of the convolution
where is the cerebral cortex thinnest
depth of sulci
why does the brain have a folded surface
increases surface area
gyri
elevated ridges
sulci
shallow depressions
fissures
deep grooves
superior frontal gyrus
longitudinal fissure
middle frontal gyrus
inferior frontal gyrus
precentral gyrus
postcentral gyrus
central sulcus
lateral sulcus
fiber tracts in white matter
- commissural fibers
- association fibers
- projection fibers
commissural fibers
connect cortices of right and left cerebral hemispheres