cortex

American  

[kawr-teks] / ˈkɔr tɛks /

noun

PLURAL

cortices

1. Anatomy, Zoology.

   1. the outer region of an organ or structure, as the outer portion of the kidney.

   2. the cerebral cortex.

2. Botany.

   1. the portion of a stem between the epidermis and the vascular tissue; bark.

   2. any outer layer, as rind.

3. Mycology.  the surface tissue layer of a fungus or lichen, composed of massed hyphal cells.

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cortex British  

/ ˈkɔːtɛks, ˈkɔːtɪkəl /

noun

1. anatomy the outer layer of any organ or part, such as the grey matter in the brain that covers the cerebrum ( cerebral cortex ) or the outer part of the kidney ( renal cortex )

2. botany

   1. the unspecialized tissue in plant stems and roots between the vascular bundles and the epidermis

   2. the outer layer of a part such as the bark of a stem

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cortex Scientific  

/ kôr′tĕks′ /

1. The outer layer of an organ or body part, such as the cerebrum or the adrenal glands.

2. The region of tissue lying between the epidermis (the outermost layer) and the vascular tissue in the roots and stems of plants. It is composed of collenchyma, parenchyma, and sclerenchyma. In roots the cortex transfers water and minerals from the epidermis to the vascular tissue, which distributes them to other parts of the plant. The cortex also provides structural support and stores food manufactured in the leaves.

3. See illustration at xylem

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Other Word Forms

• cortical adjective
• cortically adverb
• subcortex noun

Etymology

Origin of cortex

1650–60; < Latin: bark, rind, shell, husk

Example Sentences

The folds of the cerebral cortex also stabilize, forming the ridges seen on the outer surface.

From Science Daily

In mice, the brain's prefrontal cortex, which serves as a major center for executive control, sends tailored signals to regions involved in vision and movement.

From Science Daily

For many years, researchers focused on two primary memory centers: the hippocampus, which supports short-term memory, and the cortex, which was believed to store long-term memories.

From Science Daily

After examining patterns of brain activity, Tafazoli and Buschman found that the prefrontal cortex, a region at the front of the brain involved in high-level thinking and decision-making, contained several recurring patterns of activity.

From Science Daily

This digital reconstruction of the entire mouse cortex gives researchers a new way to explore brain function by recreating conditions such as Alzheimer's or epilepsy inside a virtual environment.

From Science Daily