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The Anatomy of the Brain

By Kendra Van Wagner, About.com

1 of 9

Introduction to the Brain - The Cerebral Cortex

The human brain is not only one of the most important organs in the human body; it is also the most complex. In the following tour, you will learn about the basic structures that make up the brain as well as how the brain works. This is not an in-depth look at all of the research on the brain (such a resource would fill stacks of books). Instead, the goal of this brain tour is to familiarize you with major brain structures and their functions.

The cerebral cortex is the part of the brain that makes human beings unique. Distinctly human traits including higher thought, language, human consciousness, as well as the ability to think, reason, and imagine all originate in the cerebral cortex.

The cerebral cortex is what we see when we look at the brain. It is the outermost portion that can be divided into the four lobes of the brain. Each bump on the surface of the brain is known as a gyrus, while each groove is known as a sulcus.

Next: The Four Lobes of the Brain

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