cortex, cerebral

cortex, cerebral The gray outer portion of the largest part of the brain, the cerebrum. Because it has thousands of complex folds, the cerebral cortex has a much larger surface area than one might think. Specific areas of the cerebral cortex govern sensory perception, voluntary response to stimuli, thought, memory, and the unique human capability of consciousness. The white matter of the brain lies within the cerebral cortex, and it carries instructions arising within the cortex to all other parts of the brain and body through an intricate network of nerve fibers.