Cortical map
Encyclopedia
Cortical maps are collections (areas) of minicolumn
s in the brain
cortex
that have been identified as performing a specific information processing function (texture maps, color maps, contour maps, etc.).
Cortical minicolumn
A cortical minicolumn is a vertical column through the cortical layers of the brain, comprising perhaps 80–120 neurons, except in the primate primary visual cortex , where there are typically more than twice the number. There are about 2×108 minicolumns in humans...
s in the brain
Brain
The brain is the center of the nervous system in all vertebrate and most invertebrate animals—only a few primitive invertebrates such as sponges, jellyfish, sea squirts and starfishes do not have one. It is located in the head, usually close to primary sensory apparatus such as vision, hearing,...
cortex
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...
that have been identified as performing a specific information processing function (texture maps, color maps, contour maps, etc.).