Answer
The cerebral gray matter exists as three sets of structures-- the cerebral cortex, the basal nuclei, and the limbic system network; The cortex has millions of neurons and accounts for over two-fifths (2/5) of the mass of the brain. The two principal types of neurons of the cortex are the pyramidal cells, and stellate neurons . The stellate cells receive sensory inputs, and process information locally. In contrast most of the pyramidal cells are output neurons ; their axons/fibers connect the cerebral cortex with other parts of the brain.
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The basal nuclei are masses of gray matter buried deep in the cerebral matter. These include the caudate nucleus, the putamen and the globus pallidus which are often groped under the name corpus striatum. The
putamen and globus pallidus constitute the lentiform nucleus. The basal nuclei are concerned with motor control
The third body of gray matter in the cerebrum is represented by the network of small gray masses which makes up the limbic system. This network is displayed as a ring of structures on the medial side of the cerebral hemispheres, and surrounds the corpus callosum and the thalamus . The main structures of the limbic system are the cingulate gyrus, the hippocampus and the amygdala. Other structures included in the limbic system are mammillary bodies, some thalamic nuclei, and parts of the frontal lobe ( prefrontal and orbitofrontal cortex. The limbic system network has important roles in the processes of memory and emotion.
