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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.

Anatomy of the Eyeball

Anatomy of the Eyeball

The eye is a spherical, hollow structure composed of three tissue layers. The outer layer — the fibrous tunic, comprises the sclera — a white structure — and the cornea, which is transparent. The sclera encompasses some of the ocular surface, most of which is not visible. However, the 'white of the eye' is distinctively visible in humans compared to other species. The cornea, a clear covering at the front of the eye, enables light penetration. The eye's middle...

Lateralization

Lateralization

Brain lateralization refers to the division of mental processes and functions between the two hemispheres of the brain, a phenomenon that optimizes neural efficiency and underpins complex abilities in humans. This specialization allows each hemisphere to perform tasks where it has a comparative advantage, facilitating more refined cognitive capabilities across different domains.

The Retina

The Retina

The retina is a layer of nervous tissue at the back of the eye that transduces light into neural signals. This process, called phototransduction, is carried out by rod and cone photoreceptor cells in the back of the retina.

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,...

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Related Experiment Video

Updated: May 1, 2026

Preparation of Parasagittal Slices for the Investigation of Dorsal-ventral Organization of the Rodent Medial Entorhinal Cortex

Preparation of Parasagittal Slices for the Investigation of Dorsal-ventral Organization of the Rodent Medial Entorhinal Cortex

Published on: March 28, 2012

Allocentric directional processing in the rodent and human retrosplenial cortex.

Rebecca Knight¹, Robin Hayman²

¹Department of Psychology, University of Hertfordshire Hatfield, UK.

Frontiers in Human Neuroscience

|March 28, 2014

Summary

Researchers compared rodent and human head direction (HD) cells to understand how the brain encodes spatial orientation. Findings in the human retrosplenial cortex (RSC) offer insights into its translational function and coding of permanent objects.

Keywords:

allocentric extra-hippocampal head direction interspecies retrosplenial cortex

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Investigating Object Representations in the Macaque Dorsal Visual Stream Using Single-unit Recordings

Investigating Object Representations in the Macaque Dorsal Visual Stream Using Single-unit Recordings

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Where You Cut Matters: A Dissection and Analysis Guide for the Spatial Orientation of the Mouse Retina from Ocular Landmarks

Where You Cut Matters: A Dissection and Analysis Guide for the Spatial Orientation of the Mouse Retina from Ocular Landmarks

Published on: August 4, 2018

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: May 1, 2026

Preparation of Parasagittal Slices for the Investigation of Dorsal-ventral Organization of the Rodent Medial Entorhinal Cortex

Preparation of Parasagittal Slices for the Investigation of Dorsal-ventral Organization of the Rodent Medial Entorhinal Cortex

Published on: March 28, 2012

Investigating Object Representations in the Macaque Dorsal Visual Stream Using Single-unit Recordings

Investigating Object Representations in the Macaque Dorsal Visual Stream Using Single-unit Recordings

Published on: August 1, 2018

Where You Cut Matters: A Dissection and Analysis Guide for the Spatial Orientation of the Mouse Retina from Ocular Landmarks

Where You Cut Matters: A Dissection and Analysis Guide for the Spatial Orientation of the Mouse Retina from Ocular Landmarks

Published on: August 4, 2018

Area of Science:

Neuroscience
Cognitive Science
Spatial Navigation

Background:

Head direction (HD) cells in rodents are well-studied for allocentric directional coding.
Human neural activity related to allocentric direction has been observed but less directly tested.
Parallels between rodent and human research on directional coding are beneficial.

Purpose of the Study:

To compare findings from human and rodent retrosplenial cortex (RSC) research on allocentric directional coding.
To explore the translational function of the human RSC in converting egocentric to allocentric information.
To investigate the human RSC's ability to code for permanent environmental objects.

Main Methods:

Comparative analysis of existing rodent and human neuroscience literature.
Focus on studies investigating the retrosplenial cortex (RSC) in both species.
Examination of neural mechanisms for spatial orientation and directional coding.

Main Results:

The human RSC exhibits a "translational function," converting egocentric to allocentric information.
The human RSC demonstrates the capacity to code for stable, permanent environmental objects.
Similarities and differences in RSC function between rodents and humans were identified.

Conclusions:

Cross-species comparisons illuminate the function of the human RSC.
Future research should leverage a comparative approach to further understand human RSC functions.
Understanding HD cell function in humans is crucial for comprehending spatial cognition.