Penfield's Homunculus
Penfield's Homunculus is a visual representation of the human body's sensory and motor functions mapped onto the brain. Created by neurosurgeon Wilder Penfield, it illustrates how different body parts correspond to specific areas in the cerebral cortex. The size of each body part on the homunculus reflects the amount of brain tissue dedicated to its sensory or motor control.
The homunculus is divided into two main parts: the sensory homunculus, which represents touch sensations, and the motor homunculus, which represents voluntary movements. This mapping helps scientists and doctors understand how the brain processes sensory information and controls movement, aiding in the diagnosis and treatment of neurological disorders.