cor·tex (kôr t ks )n. pl. cor·ti·ces (-t  -s z) or cor·tex·es 1. Anatomy a. The outer layer of an internal organ or body structure, as of the kidney or adrenal gland. b. The outer layer of gray matter that covers the surface of the cerebral hemisphere. 2. Botany The region of tissue in a root or stem lying between the epidermis and the vascular tissue. 3. An external layer, such as bark or rind. [Latin, bark; see sker-1 in Indo-European roots.] |
cortex [ˈkɔːtɛks]
n pl -tices [-tɪˌsiːz]
1. (Life Sciences & Allied Applications / Anatomy) Anatomy the outer layer of any organ or part, such as the grey matter in the brain that covers the cerebrum (cerebral cortex) or the outer part of the kidney (renal cortex)
2. (Life Sciences & Allied Applications / Botany) Botany
a. the unspecialized tissue in plant stems and roots between the vascular bundles and the epidermis
b. the outer layer of a part such as the bark of a stem
[from Latin: bark, outer layer]
cortical [ˈkɔːtɪkəl] adj
cortically adv
| cortex (kôrtks) 1. The outer layer of an organ or body part, such as the cerebrum or the adrenal glands. 2. The region of tissue lying between the epidermis (the outermost layer) and the vascular tissue in the roots and stems of plants. It is composed of collenchyma, parenchyma, and sclerenchyma. In roots the cortex transfers water and minerals from the epidermis to the vascular tissue, which distributes them to other parts of the plant. The cortex also provides structural support and stores food manufactured in the leaves. See illustration at xylem. |
ThesaurusLegend: Synonyms Related Words Antonyms
| Noun | 1. |  cortex - the layer of unmyelinated neurons (the grey matter) forming the cortex of the cerebrumneural structure - a structure that is part of the nervous system Golgi cell, Golgi's cell - a neuron in the cerebral cortex with short dendrites and with either a long axon or a short axon that ramifies in the grey matter neocortex, neopallium - the cortical part of the neencephalon archipallium, paleocortex - the olfactory cortex of the cerebrum gray matter, gray substance, grey matter, grey substance, substantia grisea - greyish nervous tissue containing cell bodies as well as fibers; forms the cerebral cortex consisting of unmyelinated neurons cortical area, cortical region - any of various regions of the cerebral cortex cerebrum - anterior portion of the brain consisting of two hemispheres; dominant part of the brain in humans frontal cortex, frontal lobe - that part of the cerebral cortex in either hemisphere of the brain lying directly behind the forehead prefrontal cortex, prefrontal lobe - the anterior part of the frontal lobe parietal cortex, parietal lobe - that part of the cerebral cortex in either hemisphere of the brain lying below the crown of the head occipital cortex, occipital lobe - that part of the cerebral cortex in either hemisphere of the brain lying in the back of the head temporal ccortex, temporal lobe - that part of the cerebral cortex in either hemisphere of the brain lying inside the temples of the head |
| 2. | cortex - the tissue forming the outer layer of an organ or structure in plant or animal animal tissue - the tissue in the bodies of animals adrenal cortex - the cortex of the adrenal gland; secretes corticosterone and sex hormones renal cortex - the cortex of the kidney containing the glomeruli and the convoluted tubules plant tissue - the tissue of a plant medulla - the inner part of an organ or structure in plant or animal | |
| 3. | cortex - the tissue that surrounds the lens nucleus animal tissue - the tissue in the bodies of animals crystalline lens, lens of the eye, lens - biconvex transparent body situated behind the iris in the eye; its role (along with the cornea) is to focuses light on the retina |
Translations
cortex
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