Describe the gross anatomy and general functions of the cerebral cortex

Question

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Answer 1

The cerebral cortex plays an extremely important role in human cognition. It enables us to think. Because of it, we can plan, coordinate thoughts and actions, perceive visual and sound patterns, and use language. Without it, we would not be human. The cerebral cortex forms a 1- to 3-millimeter layer that wraps the surface of the brain somewhat like the bark of a tree wraps around the trunk. In human beings, the many convolutions, or creases, of the cerebral cortex include three elements. Sulci (singular: sulcus) are small grooves. Fissures are large grooves. And gyri (singular: gyrus) are bulges between adja- cent sulci or fissures. These folds greatly increase the surface area of the cortex. If the wrinkly human cortex were smoothed out, it would take up about 2 square feet.

The volume of the human skull has more than doubled over the past 2 million years, allowing for the expansion of the brain, and especially the cortex. The surface of the cerebral cortex is grayish. It is sometimes referred to as gray matter because it primarily includes the grayish neural-cell bodies that process the information that the brain receives and sends. In contrast, the underlying white matter of the brain's interior includes mostly white, myelinated axons.