Cerebral cortex

Primary function of the cerebral cortex is to handle information, processing sensory input from other regions of the central nervous system and controlling voluntary motor output. The cerebral cortex is part of the cerebrum of the brain and is the largest brain regions, read more about the cerebral cortex in the brain atlas

The main neuronal cell types in the cerebral cortex are glutamatergic pyramidal neurons and inhibitory (mainly GABA-ergic) interneurons. These cells are organized in six layers, in the gray matter. The cerebral cortex receives its main excitatory input from the thalamus. The white matter, approximately 40% of the cerebral cortex, contains the myelinated axons that includes both input from subcortical structures and outgoing axons from the pyramidal neurons.

The characteristic folded appearance of the cerebral cortex are build up by grooves called sulcus (pl. sulci) and ridge called gyrus (pl. gyri).