Cortex (anatomy)

In anatomy and zoology the cortex (Latin: "bark", "rind", "shell" or "busk") is the outermost (or "superficial") layer of an organ. Organs with well-defined cortical layers include kidneys, adrenal glands, ovaries, the thymus, and portions of the brain, including the cerebral cortex, the most well-known of all cortices.

The cerebellar cortex is the thin gray surface layer of the cerebellum, consisting of an outer molecular layer or stratum moleculare, a single layer of Purkinje cells (the ganglionic layer), and an inner granular layer or stratum granulosum.

The cortex is the outer surface of the cerebrum and is composed of gray matter.