Cerebral Cortex Flashcards
fun facts
- makes up almost 1/2 of brain weight
- nearly 25 billion neurons w/ 10^14 synaptic connections
Neocortex (homogenetic cortex)
- majority of cerebral cortex
- 6 layered structure
Heterogenetic cortex
–> Paleocortex - olfactory bulb/parahippocampal gyrus
–> Archicortex - hippocampus
both 3 layers
Neocortex gyri
precentral gyrus
postcentral gyrus
cingulate gyrus
parahippocampal gyrus
Non-neocortex gyri
uncus
olfactory cortex
olfactory bulb
pyramidal cells
principle output neurons
- cone shaped cell bodies w/ LONG apical dendrites
- long axons LEAVE CORTEX; excitatory
- 10um-100um range in size
non-pyramidal cells
principle interneurons
- cone shaped cell bodies w/ SHORT apical dendrites
- axons STAY IN CORTEX; excitatory
dendritic spines
site of synapses that are modified during learning
- small changes in spine geometry produce large electrical changes
Cortical layers
- molecular layer
- external granular layer
- external pyramidal layer
- internal granular layer
- internal pyramidal layer
- polymorphic layer - fusiform shaped cells
Motor Cortex structural layers
- long axons
- large pyramidal cell layers 3-5
- AGRANULAR (lack of granule cells
Primary Sensory Cortex structural layers
- shorter axons project to closer cells
- large pyramidal cells 3-5
- GRANULAR
- THINNER OVERALL
Afferents to cortex
other cortical areas, terminate in layer 2-3
- association fibers from ipsi. hemisphere
- commissural fibers from contra.
subcortical areas (thalamus) in layer 4
Efferents to cortex
other cortical areas to layer 3 - major source of corticocortical fibers subcortical areas - travel thru internal capsule - 5 - major source of corticostriate fibers - 6 - fibers to thalamus
BA #1,2,3
primary somatosensory cortex
BA #4
primary motor cortex
BA #5
associated cortex, somatosensory cortex
BA #6
premotor cortex
BA #17
primary visual cortex
BA #18,19
associated cortex visual
BA #22,39,40
wernicke’s area
BA #41,42
auditory cortex
BA #44,45
broca’s area