Cortex Facts

A cortex is the outer layer of any organ, such as the brain or the kidney.
The brain’s cortex is also known as the cerebral cortex. It is a layer of interconnected nerve cells around the outside of the brain, called ‘grey matter’.
The cerebral cortex is where many signals from the senses are registered in the brain.
The visual cortex is around the lower back of the brain. It is the place where all the things you sec are registered in the brain.
The somatosensory cortex is a band running over the top of the brain like a headband. This where a touch on any part of the body is registered.
The motor cortex is a band just in front of the sensory cortex. It sends out signals to body muscles to move.
The more nerve endings there are in a particular part of the body, the more of the sensory cortex it occupies.
The lips and face take up a huge proportion of the sensory cortex.
The hands take up almost as much of the sensory cortex as the face.

This entry is filed under Interesting Facts.