archaecortex
|ar-chae-o-cor-tex|
🇺🇸
/ˌɑrkiəˈkɔrteks/
🇬🇧
/ˌɑːkiəˈkɔːteks/
ancient / primitive cortex
Etymology
'archaecortex' originates from Greek and Latin elements: Greek 'arkhaios' meaning 'ancient' (via the combining form 'archaeo-') and Latin 'cortex' meaning 'bark' (used anatomically for 'outer layer').
'archaeo-' (from Greek 'arkhaios') was combined with Latin 'cortex' in New Latin/medical usage to form 'archaeocortex' (or 'archaecortex'), and later English adopted the term as 'archaecortex' (with variant 'archicortex').
Initially it literally meant 'ancient outer layer' (referring to an evolutionarily old cortical layer); over time it has been used specifically for the oldest cortical regions involved in olfaction and limbic functions.
Meanings by Part of Speech
Noun 1
the phylogenetically oldest part of the cerebral cortex (often equated with the archicortex), involved in basic olfactory and limbic functions.
Comparative neuroanatomy shows that the archaeocortex is relatively larger in some reptiles and amphibians than in mammals.
Synonyms
Noun 2
in anatomical and evolutionary contexts, a term used broadly for primitive cortical regions (sometimes used interchangeably with paleocortex or archicortex depending on author).
Some texts treat the term archaeocortex as a general label for primitive cortical areas rather than a single discrete structure.
Synonyms
Adjective 1
relating to or characteristic of the archaeocortex (formation: 'archaecortical').
Researchers examined archaecortical connections in early mammalian brains.
Synonyms
Last updated: 2026/01/11 21:28