(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.

see Cerebral cortex is the outer surface of the cerebrum and is composed of gray matter

see Cerebellar cortex