Search research articles

ABOUT JoVE

Overview Leadership Blog JoVE Help Center

AUTHORS

Publishing Process Editorial Board Scope & Policies Peer Review FAQ Submit

LIBRARIANS

Testimonials Subscriptions Access Resources Library Advisory Board FAQ

RESEARCH

JoVE Journal Methods Collections JoVE Encyclopedia of Experiments Archive

EDUCATION

JoVE Core JoVE Business JoVE Science Education JoVE Lab Manual Faculty Resource Center Faculty Site

Terms & Conditions of Use

Search research articles

Related Experiment Videos

The basic uniformity in structure of the neocortex.

A J Rockel, R W Hiorns, T P Powell

Brain : a Journal of Neurology

|June 1, 1980

Summary

This summary is machine-generated.

Related Concept Videos

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by

Same author

A reply to J. Antonio Ortega Osona and H-P Kohler.

Population studies·2017

Same author

The neuroanatomy of Alzheimer's disease.

Reviews in the neurosciences·2011

Same author

Distinctive features of age-specific fertility profiles in the English-speaking world: common patterns in Australia, Canada, New Zealand and the United States, 1970-98.

Population studies·2002

Same author

Recent European fertility patterns: fitting curves to 'distorted' distributions.

Population studies·2001

Same author

Discontinuing the LVAD: ethical considerations.

The Annals of thoracic surgery·1997

Same author

Meteorological factors and the time of onset of chest pain in acute myocardial infarction.

International journal of biometeorology·1996

Same journal

The significance of electrophysiological recordings from the bed nucleus of the stria terminalis in humans.

Brain : a journal of neurology·2026

Same journal

Fus-depleted oligodendrocytes reduce neuronal damage and Alzheimer's disease progression in the AppNL-G-F mouse.

Brain : a journal of neurology·2026

Same journal

Cervical lymph node biomarkers in neurodegeneration.

Brain : a journal of neurology·2026

Same journal

Lower motor neuron disorders: time for a closer look.

Brain : a journal of neurology·2026

Same journal

Reply: Cervical lymph node biomarkers in neurodegeneration.

Brain : a journal of neurology·2026

Same journal

Propionic acid and neurofilament light chain in multiple sclerosis.

Brain : a journal of neurology·2026

See all related articles

The number of neurons in the neocortex remains constant across most areas and species, except for primate visual cortex area 17. This suggests a uniform underlying structure of the neocortex.

Area of Science:

Neuroscience
Comparative Anatomy

Background:

The neocortex exhibits diverse functional areas and cytoarchitectures across species.
Understanding neuronal density variations is crucial for comprehending brain evolution and function.

Purpose of the Study:

To quantify neuronal cell body numbers across different neocortical areas and species.
To investigate potential variations in neuronal density related to brain size and function.

Main Methods:

Neuronal cell bodies were counted in a 30-micrometer strip through the neocortical depth.
Counts were performed in motor, somatic sensory, visual (area 17), frontal, parietal, and temporal areas.
Studies included multiple species: mouse, rat, cat, monkey, and human.

Main Results:

Related Experiment Videos

An average of approximately 110 neurons was found per strip in most neocortical areas and species.
Primate visual cortex area 17 showed a significantly higher density, with 2.5 times more neurons in its binocular part.
Neocortical area expands with brain size, but neuronal number per depth remains constant, barring primate area 17.

Conclusions:

The neocortex possesses a more uniform intrinsic structure than previously assumed.
Functional and cytoarchitectural differences likely arise from variations in neuronal connections, not density.
Primate visual cortex area 17 represents a notable exception to this uniformity.