Cortex, Neocortex, Cortisone

“The cerebrum is the largest part of the brain, accounting for 85 percent of the organ's weight. The distinctive, deeply wrinkled outer surface is the cerebral cortex, which consists of gray matter. Beneath this lies the white matter. It’s the cerebrum that makes the human brain and therefore humans so formidable. Whereas animals such as elephants, dolphins, and whales have larger brains, humans have the most developed cerebrum.”

Cortex is the other part of an organ of a body such as the other part of the brain called cerebral cortex; the other part of kidney called renal cortex. Cortex is derived from the Latin word cortex literally meaning ‘bark’: something having a bark, having rind, bark-like. The plural of cortex is cortices (kor-ti-seez), and cortical is an adjective. Corticated is an adjective meaning bark, rind, bark-like.

Corticosteroid is a hormone produced by the adrenal gland in the human body. Corticosteroid is a group of steroid hormone produced in the adrenal cortex (near the kidneys, adrenal glands are the ductless glands above the kidneys that secrete adrenaline) of the body. Corticosteroid regulates the salts and carbohydrates, inflammation and also sexual physiology.

Corticosteroid also refers to the synthetic steroid. Neocortex is the large six-layered dorsal region of the cerebral cortex in the brain which is unique to mammals. It aids in sensory perception, motor commands, spatial reasoning, conscious thought and language. The mammalian cerebral cortex is bigger than the other animals as result of evolution (from hunting-gathering society to the agricultural societies to urbanization)

Neocortex is the most recently developed part of the human brain. The word was first used in 1909. Neocortex, or neopallium, or new mantle is the new bark, or new rind of the human brain that is the largest part of the cerebral cortex and covers the cerebral hemispheres, and the other is allocortex. Neocortex has two types of cortex: isocortex and pro isocortex.

Neocortical is an adjective. Cortisone is a hormone produced in the body that fights against inflammation and allergy. It’s produced by the adrenal cortex. The synthetically produced cortisone is taken by some patients for relief of inflamed muscles, joints, tendons, and bursa. But some have found out side-effects of taking synthetic cortisone.

Cortisone is medication used to treat psoriasis, acne, arthritis, ulcerative colitis, lupus, eye conditions, and some cancers. Cortisone is taken as a pill, or as an injection. Cortisone can be taken as a pill or given as a cortisone shot (injection). The debate over pros and cons of using artificial cortisone rages on.