Related Experiment Video
Updated: May 20, 2026

Visualization of Cortical Modules in Flattened Mammalian Cortices
Published on: January 22, 2018
Cortical organization: a description and interpretation of anatomical findings based on systems theory
1Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of Louisville, Louisville, Kentucky, USA.
Abstract:
The organization of the cortex can be understood as a complex system comprised of interconnected modules called minicolumns. Comparative anatomical studies suggest that evolution has prompted a scale free world network of connectivity within the white matter while simultaneously increasing the complexity of minicolumnar composition. It is this author's opinion that this complex system is poised to collapse under the weight of environmental exigencies. Some mental disorders may be the manifestations of this collapse.
Related Concept Videos
Somatosensory, Motor, and Association Cortex
Organization of the Brain
Hindbrain
The hindbrain, located at the base of the brain, plays a vital role in regulating automatic processes that sustain life. It includes the medulla oblongata, which is essential for...
Structural Organization of the Human Body: An Overview
To study the chemical level of organization, scientists consider the simplest building blocks of matter: subatomic particles, atoms, and molecules. All matter in the universe is composed of one or more unique pure substances called elements, familiar examples of...
Motor and Sensory Areas of the Cortex
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.
Structuralism
Titchener's approach to structuralism was unique. He employed introspection, a method...
Overview of Anatomy and Physiology

