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Motor and Sensory Areas of the Cortex

Motor and Sensory Areas of the Cortex

The cerebral cortex, the brain's outermost layer, is pivotal in processing complex cognitive tasks, emotions, and various sensory inputs and executing voluntary motor activities. This intricate structure is divided into three primary functional areas: the motor areas, sensory areas, and association areas.
Motor Areas
The motor areas located in the frontal lobe are central to controlling voluntary movements. This region is further subdivided into the primary motor cortex and the premotor cortex.

Vision

Vision

Vision is the result of light being detected and transduced into neural signals by the retina of the eye. This information is then further analyzed and interpreted by the brain. First, light enters the front of the eye and is focused by the cornea and lens onto the retina—a thin sheet of neural tissue lining the back of the eye. Because of refraction through the convex lens of the eye, images are projected onto the retina upside-down and reversed.

Somatosensory, Motor, and Association Cortex

Somatosensory, Motor, and Association Cortex

The somatosensory cortex in the parietal lobes is crucial for interpreting sensory data such as touch, temperature, and proprioception. The somatosensory cortex, situated in the parietal lobes, plays a vital role in interpreting sensory information like touch, temperature, and proprioception—awareness of body position. This specialized brain region features an organized structure wherein neurons at the top primarily process sensations originating from the lower body. In contrast, those at the...

Association Areas of the Cortex

Association Areas of the Cortex

Association areas are regions of the cerebral cortex that do not have a specific sensory or motor function. Instead, they integrate and interpret information from various sources to enable higher cognitive processes such as memory, learning, and decision-making. Some key association areas include the following:
Prefrontal Association Area: This area is located in the frontal lobe and is involved in planning, decision-making, and moderating social behavior. It connects with primary motor areas,...

Cerebrum: Anatomical Overview II

Cerebrum: Anatomical Overview II

Each cerebral hemisphere can be divided into three main regions. The outermost region, the cerebral cortex, is a thin layer (2 to 4 millimeters thick) made up of gray matter, consisting of neuron cell bodies, dendrites, glial cells, and blood vessels. The middle region, or white matter, is primarily composed of myelinated nerve fibers organized into three types of large tracts: association fibers, commissures, and projection fibers. Association fibers connect different areas within the same...

Visual System

Visual System

Light enters the eye through the cornea, a transparent, dome-shaped surface covering the surface of the eyeball that helps to direct and focus incoming light. This light is then channeled toward the pupil, an adjustable opening whose size is controlled by the iris. The iris, a pigmented muscle, regulates the amount of light entering the eye by contracting or dilating the pupil, thereby ensuring optimal light levels for clear vision.
Once through the pupil, the light passes through the lens, a...

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Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jun 19, 2026

Large-scale Three-dimensional Imaging of Cellular Organization in the Mouse Neocortex

Large-scale Three-dimensional Imaging of Cellular Organization in the Mouse Neocortex

Published on: September 5, 2018

Interareal coordination of columnar architectures during visual cortical development.

Matthias Kaschube¹, Michael Schnabel, Fred Wolf

¹Max Planck Institute for Dynamics and Self-Organization and Bernstein Center for Computational Neuroscience, Bunsenstrasse 10, 37073 Göttingen, Germany.

Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America

|October 7, 2009

Summary

Cortical column formation is not just local; interconnected brain areas coordinate their development. This coordination, especially during critical periods, shapes functional brain architecture across hemispheres.

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Published on: December 12, 2012

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Jun 19, 2026

Large-scale Three-dimensional Imaging of Cellular Organization in the Mouse Neocortex

Large-scale Three-dimensional Imaging of Cellular Organization in the Mouse Neocortex

Published on: September 5, 2018

Visualization of Cortical Modules in Flattened Mammalian Cortices

Visualization of Cortical Modules in Flattened Mammalian Cortices

Published on: January 22, 2018

Targeted Labeling of Neurons in a Specific Functional Micro-domain of the Neocortex by Combining Intrinsic Signal and Two-photon Imaging

Targeted Labeling of Neurons in a Specific Functional Micro-domain of the Neocortex by Combining Intrinsic Signal and Two-photon Imaging

Published on: December 12, 2012

Area of Science:

Neuroscience
Developmental Neuroscience
Systems Neuroscience

Background:

Cortical column formation is traditionally viewed as a local process.
However, neurons also form long-range connections, suggesting interareal influences on column development.

Purpose of the Study:

To investigate whether interareal interactions coordinate the development of cortical column architecture.
To determine if this coordination extends across brain hemispheres.

Main Methods:

Comparative analysis of orientation column layouts in different visual cortex areas (V1 and V2) within individual hemispheres.
Comparison of orientation column layouts between left and right brain hemispheres in cats.
Tracking the matching of column sizes in connected areas during the critical period.

Main Results:

Columnar architectures across different visual cortex areas develop in a coordinated manner.
Mutually connected columns in different areas tend to be closely matched in size.
Column size matching improves during the late phase of the critical period.

Conclusions:

Cortical column development is not solely a local process but involves interareal coordination.
Critical period plasticity plays a role in synchronizing functional architectures across brain regions, including between hemispheres.