Cerebral Cortex

The cerebral cortex is a layer in the brain which is often referred to as gray matter. The thin layer of tissue or cortex is gray as the nerves in this portion lack the insulation with which most other parts of brain look white. The outer portion of the cerebellum and cerebrum is covered by the cortex (1.5mm to 5mm). The cerebral cortex is the portion of the cortex covering the cerebrum.The cerebral cortex comprises of folded bulges called gyre which are responsible for creating deep fissures or furrows called sulci. This causes the folds in the brain to add to the surface area of the cerebrum and therefore, there is an increase in the amount of gray matter and capacity of the information to be processed.