What is the cerebral cortex made up of?

What is the cerebral cortex made up of?

• A. A network of blood vessels inside the brain.
• B. A collection of glial cells forming the limbic system.
• C. The brain's inner core responsible for autonomic functions.
• D. Tightly packed neurons and the outermost layer that surrounds the brain.

Answer: (D)

The cerebral cortex is the brain’s outer surface, made up primarily of tightly packed neuron cell bodies (gray matter) arranged in six layers, forming the outermost shell that surrounds the brain. This description captures both what the cortex is composed of (neurons) and where it sits (the brain’s outer layer). The other options point to different structures—blood vessels inside the brain, glial cells in the limbic system, or the brain’s inner core governing autonomic functions—none of which describe the cortex itself.

The cerebral cortex is the brain’s outer surface, made up primarily of tightly packed neuron cell bodies (gray matter) arranged in six layers, forming the outermost shell that surrounds the brain. This description captures both what the cortex is composed of (neurons) and where it sits (the brain’s outer layer). The other options point to different structures—blood vessels inside the brain, glial cells in the limbic system, or the brain’s inner core governing autonomic functions—none of which describe the cortex itself.