Kortikální

Kortikální is an adjective used in Czech to denote relation to a cortex, the outer layer of an organ. In medicine and biology it refers to cortical tissue in various organs, most commonly the cerebral cortex of the brain, but also to cortical regions such as the adrenal cortex or the renal cortex. The term derives from the Latin cortex, meaning rind or bark.

In neuroanatomy, the cerebral cortex is the brain’s outer gray matter, composed of six cellular layers and a diverse set of neuron types. It covers the cerebrum and participates in perception, cognition, language, and voluntary movement. The cortex is organized into lobes and functional areas, including the motor, sensory, and association cortices. The primary motor cortex controls voluntary movements (located in the precentral gyrus), while the primary somatosensory cortex processes tactile and proprioceptive input (located in the postcentral gyrus). Cortical networks connect via corticocortical pathways and thalamocortical relays, enabling integrated processing. Cortical plasticity describes adaptive changes in cortical circuits in response to experience or injury.

Outside the brain, cortical tissue also has key roles. The adrenal cortex synthesizes steroid hormones such as glucocorticoids and mineralocorticoids, regulated by pituitary signals. The renal cortex contains structures involved in filtration and reabsorption in the kidney. Pathological changes in cortical areas, including atrophy or dysplasia, can affect function and are investigated with imaging and electrophysiological techniques such as MRI and EEG.