VPB 121: Veterinary Physiology - II (2+1)

CEREBRAL CORTEX

• Provides necessary neural connections and orders to skeletal muscles required for proper response based on emotion.
• As Ganglionic blanket covers the brain, has unexcelled structure function millions of nerve fibres are originated from here.
• The cerebral hemisphere is the predominant portion of the brain .
• Each cerebral hemisphere is composed of a covering of grey matter [cortex or pallium], a cerebral mass of white matter and the basal ganglia [mass of grey matter.
• The cortex is the highest integration centre in the somatic nervous system to regulate complex skeletal muscular movement and  its functions are under voluntary control.
• It acts as a centre for consciousness, and storages of experience. The bilaterally situated cerebral cortex of telencephalon is divided into a primary olfactory portion called the allocortex and a non olfactory portion called the neocortex, in mammals the allocortex is often called as the limbic system

Isocortex 

• It is the outer layer, that integrates and interprets sensory information to initiate voluntary movements.
• There are outer folds namely GYRI and grooves namely SULCI to increase the surface area of isocortex.
• Increase in surface area increases number of neurons, there inter connections enhance functional complexity.
• In other vertebrates like reptiles, birds and amphibians the neocortex is absent or poorly developed.
• Allocortex regulates emotions. Cortex has definite cellular architecture and divided into six layers.