All Topics  
Cortical area

 

 
   Email Print
   Bookmark   Link
 

 

Cortical area
 
 
  Topics Cortical area Topic Home

A cortical area is a part of the cerebral cortex
Cerebral cortex

The cerebral cortex is a structure within the brain that plays a key role in memory, attention, perceptual awareness, thought, language, and consciousness....
.
n, a cortical area is functionally defined, i.e. its neurons share certain distinguishing functional properties. For example, they are activated by the same category of stimuli
Stimulus (physiology)

In physiology, a stimulus is a detectable change in the internal or external environment. When a stimulus is applied to a sensory receptor, it elicits or influences a Reflex action via Transduction ....
 or seem to be involved in similar cognitive
Cognition

Cognition is the science term for "the process of thought."Its usage varies in different ways in accord with different disciplines: For example, in psychology and cognitive science it refers to an information processing view of an individual's psychological Functionalism s....
 tasks, that are different from the stimuli or tasks that activate neurons in the neighboring areas.

rnatively, cortical areas can be defined histo
Histology

Histology is the study of the anatomy of cell and tissue of plants and animals. It is performed by examining a thin slice of tissue under a light microscope or electron microscope....
-anatomically
Anatomy

Anatomy is a branch of biology that is the consideration of the body plan. It is a general term that includes human anatomy, animal anatomy and plant anatomy ....
, like the Brodmann area
Brodmann area

A Brodmann area is a region of the cerebral cortex defined based on its cytoarchitecture, or organization of cells.Brodmann areas were originally defined and numbered by Korbinian Brodmann based on the organization of neurons he observed in the cortex using the Franz Nissl staining....
s.






Discussion
Ask a question about 'Cortical area'
Start a new discussion about 'Cortical area'
Answer questions from other users
Full Discussion Forum



Encyclopedia


A cortical area is a part of the cerebral cortex
Cerebral cortex

The cerebral cortex is a structure within the brain that plays a key role in memory, attention, perceptual awareness, thought, language, and consciousness....
.

Functionally Defined

Often, a cortical area is functionally defined, i.e. its neurons share certain distinguishing functional properties. For example, they are activated by the same category of stimuli
Stimulus (physiology)

In physiology, a stimulus is a detectable change in the internal or external environment. When a stimulus is applied to a sensory receptor, it elicits or influences a Reflex action via Transduction ....
 or seem to be involved in similar cognitive
Cognition

Cognition is the science term for "the process of thought."Its usage varies in different ways in accord with different disciplines: For example, in psychology and cognitive science it refers to an information processing view of an individual's psychological Functionalism s....
 tasks, that are different from the stimuli or tasks that activate neurons in the neighboring areas.

Anatomically Defined

Alternatively, cortical areas can be defined histo
Histology

Histology is the study of the anatomy of cell and tissue of plants and animals. It is performed by examining a thin slice of tissue under a light microscope or electron microscope....
-anatomically
Anatomy

Anatomy is a branch of biology that is the consideration of the body plan. It is a general term that includes human anatomy, animal anatomy and plant anatomy ....
, like the Brodmann area
Brodmann area

A Brodmann area is a region of the cerebral cortex defined based on its cytoarchitecture, or organization of cells.Brodmann areas were originally defined and numbered by Korbinian Brodmann based on the organization of neurons he observed in the cortex using the Franz Nissl staining....
s. In some cases, both types of definition yield identical areas. An example is the primary visual cortex, or V1, which is identical to Brodmann area 17.

Connections between Areas

Connections between cortical areas can be direct (cortico-cortical) or indirect (e.g. via the thalamus
Thalamus

The thalamus is a pair and symmetric part of the brain. It constitutes the main part of the diencephalon....
 or basal ganglia
Basal ganglia

The basal ganglia are a group of Nucleus in the brain interconnected with the cerebral cortex, thalamus and brainstem. Mammalian basal ganglia are associated with a variety of functions: motor control, cognition, emotions, and learning....
).