PSYCH261 Chapter Notes - Chapter 3: Prefrontal Cortex, Working Memory, Decision-Making

• School: University of Waterloo
• Department: Psychology
• Course: PSYCH261
• Professor: Daniel Smilek

Document Summary

Although brain size varies among mammalian species, the overall organization is similar. The most prominent part of the mammalian brain is the cerebral cortex. The cells on the outer surface of the cerebral cortex are gray matter, and their axons extending inward are white matter. Neurons in each hemisphere communicate with neurons in the corresponding part of the other hemisphere through two bundles of axons, the corpus callosum and the smaller anterior commissure. Compared to other mammals of comparable size, primates monkeys, apes, and humans have a larger cerebral cortex, more folding, and more neurons per unit of volume. In humans and most other mammals, the cerebral cortex contains up to 6 distinct laminae, layers of cell bodies that are parallel to the surface of the cortex and separated from each other by layers of fibers. The cells of the cortex are also organized into columns of cells perpendicular to the laminae.