Layers of the cerebral cortex

Question 1

how many layers does the neocortex contain?

how much of the cerebral cortex does the neocortex compose?

Answer 1

6

90%

Question 2

what are all the types of cells we can find in the different layers of the cortex?

Answer 2

1. pyramidal
2. stellate cells
3. fusiform cells
4. horizontal cells
5. cells of martinotti
6. betz cells

Question 3

what are the layers of the neocortex?

Answer 3

1. Molecular layer
2. External granule layer
3. External pyramidal layer
4. Internal granule layer
5. Internal pyramidal layer
6. Multiform layer

Question 4

what does the molecular layer do?

Answer 4

has non-specific afferents from intralaminar nucleus of thalamus and brainstem

Question 5

what does the external granule layer do?

Answer 5

receives callosal and association afferents

Question 6

what does the external pyramidal layer do?

Answer 6

is where association and commisural fibers originate

Question 7

what does the internal granule layer do?

Answer 7

receives afferents from thalamic nuclei

(is the termination point of thalamic relay neurons (VPL/VPM for post-central gyrus and LGN for visual cortex)

Question 8

what does the internal pyramidal layer do?

Answer 8

is where the corticospinal, corticobulbar and corticostriatal originate

Question 9

what does the multiform layer do?

Answer 9

gives rise to association and commisural fibers as well as corticothalamic fibers

Question 10

what composes the other 10% of the cortex?

Answer 10

the allocortex

Question 11

what are the 2 layers of the allocortex?

what part are these layers associated with?

Answer 11

1) Paleocortex: the olfactory system
2) archicortex: hippocampus

Question 12

identify each layer

Answer 12

Question 13

what cell do we find in the molecular layer?

what do they do?

Answer 13

horizontal cells

help connect the cortical columns

Question 14

what cells do we find in the deepest layer of the cortex?

Answer 14

fusiform cells

Question 15

what cells do we find in the external granule layer?

what is special about this cell?

Answer 15

stellate cells (granule cells)

is the main interneuron of the cortex

Question 16

What cells do we find in the motor cortex only?

what are they?

Answer 16

Betz cells

huge pyramidal cells

Question 17

What are the types of regions found in the neocortex?

Answer 17

granular regions and agranular regions

Question 18

what do we find in the granular layer?

what do we find in the agranular layer?

Answer 18

large granular layers with smaller pyramidal layer

large pyramidal layer with smaller granular layer

Question 19

what is the largest area of the cortex?

what is the smallest?

Answer 19

the motor cortex

the visual cortex

Question 20

how is the cortex arranged? and how are they linked?

what is important to remember of way the cortex is arranged?

Answer 20

in vertical columns of 300-500 neurons and are linked using horizontal cells

vertical columns are the functional units of the cortex