Lecture 3 - Cerebral Cortex Organization and Function

Question 1

What are the different types of cortical neurons?

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Answer 1

Granular:

• interneurons
• short axons

Fusiform:
-small output neurons

Pyramidal:
-large output neurons

Question 2

What are the different layers of the cerebral cortex and what do they do?

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Answer 2

I, II, and III:
-intracortical association functions

IV:
-termination of most sensory signals

V and VI:

• origin of most output signals
• fibers to thalamus (VI)

Question 3

What is the relation of the thalamus to the cerebral cortex function?

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Answer 3

If connections between the thalamus and a functional region of the cerebrum are severed, most of the function of the region is lost.

Question 4

What are the different types of cortical areas and what is their function?

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Answer 4

Primary motor areas:
-direct connection with specific muscles

Primary sensory areas:
-detect specific sensations

Secondary motor areas:
-provide patterns of motor activity

Secondary sensory areas:
-analyze specific sensory signals

Association areas:
-analyze signals from several motor and sensory areas

Question 5

What occurs in the parieto-occipitotemporal association area?

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Answer 5

• analysis of spatial coordinates
• Wernicke’s area
• angular gyrus area
• area for naming objects

Question 6

What occurs in the prefrontal association area?

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Answer 6

• receives preanalyzed sensory area necessary for planing effective movements
• carries out though processes

Question 7

What occurs in the limbic association area?

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Answer 7

• behavior
• emotion
• motivation

Question 8

What occurs in Broca’s and Wernickes’s areas?
What is special about these two areas?

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Answer 8

Broca’s area:
-word formation

Wernicke’s area:

• language comprehension
• located at the convergence of somatic, visual and auditory association areas

Both areas are unilateral and typically found on the left hemisphere

Question 9

What is the corpus callosum?
What occurs if this connection is severed?

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Answer 9

-major commissure (connection) between the two hemispheres

Results in two different conscious portions of the brain

Question 10

What physical changes occur converting short-term memory to long-term memory?

Answer 10

• increased vesicle secretion
• increased number of presynaptic terminals
• changes in structure of dendritic spines