ABSTRACT
The cerebral neocortex is a laminated structure usually described in terms of six cellular layers, which, in the main, are continuous from one cytoarchitectural area to another. There may be differences in thickness and cell density of laminae between areas, and laminae are missing in some areas (e.g. lamina IV is missing in the primary motor area). Moreover, for descriptive purposes, laminae may be subdivided in some areas (e.g. lamina IV in the primate visual cortex). Nevertheless the basic six-layered arrangment is a scheme which has general application across areas and across all mammalian species.
