DP2 - The Cerebral Cortex Flashcards
Cerebral Cortex characteristics (4)
-Covers outer portion of Forebrain (or cerebrum)
-2-3mm thick
-Deep folds increase surface area which allows the brain to fit in the skull
-Generally, the larger the cerebral cortex in an organism, the more bale to display intelligence such as thinking and problem solving
3 main functions
-Integration of sensory information
-Control of precise voluntary motor movement
-Higher mental functioning such as abstract thinking and reasoning
Sensory areas (3)
-Somatosensory – parietal lobe
-Auditory – temporal lobe
-Vision – occipital lobe
Sensory areas purpose
Receives information provided by the various senses (taste, smell, touch, vision, and hearing)
Motor cortex
-Sends information about various bodily movements
-There is only one primary motor cortex located in the frontal lobe
Association areas
-Involved in higher mental brain functions like decision making, planning, so on
-Integrates information from sensory and motor areas
-Located in all four lobes
Four lobes of the cerebral cortex
-Frontal lobe
-Parietal lobe
-Occipital lobe
-Temporal lobe