cerebral cortex

n. The large, exterior mass of gray matter about 2-4 mm thick that is divided into two halves and that covers most of the upper portion of the brain, including the frontal, parietal, temporal, and occipital lobes. The cerebral cortex is involved in sensory, motor, memory, thought, and judgment functions of the brain. The cerebral cortex is folded so that it has a much greater surface area than would be the case were it uniform, and the folds demarcate different functional areas.