Allocortex
Encyclopedia
The allocortex is a part of the cerebral cortex
characterized by fewer cell
layers than the neocortex
(i.e. fewer than six).
The specific regions of the brain normally described as part of the allocortex are:
Allocortex is heterogenetic cortex, because during development it never has the six-layered architecture of homogenetic neocortex. It differs from heterotypic cortex,a type of neocortex, which during prenatal development, passes through a six-layered stage to have less layers (e.g., agranular area 4 of Brodmann) or more layers (e.g., striate area 17 of Brodmann) in the mature brain .
Cerebral cortex
The cerebral cortex is a sheet of neural tissue that is outermost to the cerebrum of the mammalian brain. It plays a key role in memory, attention, perceptual awareness, thought, language, and consciousness. It is constituted of up to six horizontal layers, each of which has a different...
characterized by fewer cell
Cell (biology)
The cell is the basic structural and functional unit of all known living organisms. It is the smallest unit of life that is classified as a living thing, and is often called the building block of life. The Alberts text discusses how the "cellular building blocks" move to shape developing embryos....
layers than the neocortex
Neocortex
The neocortex , also called the neopallium and isocortex , is a part of the brain of mammals. It is the outer layer of the cerebral hemispheres, and made up of six layers, labelled I to VI...
(i.e. fewer than six).
The specific regions of the brain normally described as part of the allocortex are:
- the olfactory cortex, which mediates olfactionOlfactionOlfaction is the sense of smell. This sense is mediated by specialized sensory cells of the nasal cavity of vertebrates, and, by analogy, sensory cells of the antennae of invertebrates...
- the hippocampusHippocampusThe hippocampus is a major component of the brains of humans and other vertebrates. It belongs to the limbic system and plays important roles in the consolidation of information from short-term memory to long-term memory and spatial navigation. Humans and other mammals have two hippocampi, one in...
, which mediates limbic inputLimbic systemThe limbic system is a set of brain structures including the hippocampus, amygdala, anterior thalamic nuclei, septum, limbic cortex and fornix, which seemingly support a variety of functions including emotion, behavior, long term memory, and olfaction. The term "limbic" comes from the Latin...
Allocortex is heterogenetic cortex, because during development it never has the six-layered architecture of homogenetic neocortex. It differs from heterotypic cortex,a type of neocortex, which during prenatal development, passes through a six-layered stage to have less layers (e.g., agranular area 4 of Brodmann) or more layers (e.g., striate area 17 of Brodmann) in the mature brain .