Describe the structure and functions of the cerebral cortex
The cerebral cortex is a vital contributor to human cognitive processing, and has a complex structure due to its plethoraof processing responsibilities. It's structure, although difficult to define with the naked eye, has various lobes with specific roles in order to function with day to day living. There are many different cognitive functions within each lobe and each contributes to our overall ability to function effectively.
The cerebral cortex consists of 4 main sections called lobes. These lobes are the frontal lobe, the parietal lobe, the occipital love and the temporal lobe. Each lobe serves a specific role contributing to cognitive process. It is also divided into the left and right hemispheres, the left hemisphere is often responsible for logical thinking, and the right hemisphere responsible for creative thinking. These two hemispheres are connected via the corpus callosum, which is constructed of axons.
The cerebral cortex is the outer layer of the brain and contributes around two-thrids of its mass.
The cerebral cortex is often described as the grey matter area of the brain as it contains many cell bodies but fewmyelinated axons, as opposed to the cerebrum which appears white due to it's higher percentage of myelin.The cognitive processes of the brain take place in the grey matter areas, and the communication between these areas takes place in the white matter areas of the brain.The cerebral cortex is responsible for most of our information processing and is the most recent construction of the brain's evolution. Below is a diagram of the cerebral cortex with each of the lobes labelled:
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The cerebral cortex has a large amount of 'folds' which make up it's unusual shape. The protruding part of the ridges are called gyri and the crevice...