motor homunculus

a figurative representation, in distorted human form, of the somatotopic organization of the motor cortex as originally mapped by U.S.-born Canadian neurosurgeon Wilder Penfield (1891–1976). Within this mapping, the size of the brain region associated with a body part reflects the complexity of the activities carried out with that part of the body rather than its actual size. Compare sensory homunculus.

Browse dictionary by letter

a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z

Psychology term of the day

February 23rd 2025

inbreeding

n. the mating of individuals that are closely related. Inbreeding increases the risk of perpetuating certain genetic defects in the family, as in consanguineous marriages. Inbreeding within small populations, such as geographically isolated populations, leads to increased frequency of particular mutations within such groups. This fact has been used to demonstrate the founder effect for certain cancers and other disorders. Inbreeding studies have contributed to efforts to identify and test for mutations predisposing to disease in some groups of people. Compare outbreeding.