Brodmann areas

Regions of the cerebral cortex defined on the basis of cytoarchitecture, or the organization of the cortex as observed when tissue is stained for nerve cells. Brodmann areas were originally defined and numbered by Korbinian Brodmann (1868–1918) and were referred to by numbers from 1 to 52. Brodmann published his maps of cortical areas in humans, monkeys, and other species in 1909. Many of the areas Brodmann defined based solely on their neuronal organization have since been correlated closely to diverse cortical functions, such as the primary somatosensory cortex, the primary motor cortex, the primary visual cortex, and the primary auditory cortex.


Numbered (1-47) areas of the cerebral cortex, each distinguished by different cellular components and each involved in a specific function (e.g., area 17 is involved in vision, area 4 in motor function).


The numbered areas (1-47) into which a map of the ‘cerebral cortex may conveniently be divided for descriptive purposes, based upon the arrangement of neurons seen in stained sections under the microscope. On the map area 4, for example, corresponds to primary motor cortex, while the primary visual cortex comes into area 17.


The cerebral cortex, the outer layer of the brain, comprises a collection of distinct regions, ranging from one to 47. Each of these areas is home to specialized nerve cells that are dedicated to specific functions, including vision, auditory perception, and bodily movement.


Regions on the brain’s surface that were initially identified based on their cellular composition. Nowadays, the term is more frequently employed to distinguish the functions of these brain regions. For instance, Brodmann’s area No. 4, located in the back part of the precentral gyrus, serves as the brain’s motor center responsible for transmitting signals to different muscle groups. Areas 41 and 17 are responsible for processing auditory and visual sensations, respectively.


 


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