The cerebral cortex is a layer of gray matter covering a white core over both hemispheres of the brain.  This gray matter contains principally neuron cells bodies and areas of synaptic connection.  The subcortical white matter is predominantly comprised of cell axons directing neural pathways between various regions of the cortex (i.e. commissural and association fibers, thalamocortical, corticospinal, corticoreticular pathways, etc).

Neuron cells of the neo-cortex fall predominantly into three categories: pyramidal, stellate and granule cells.  Neo-cortical assemblies form a three staged construction (granulestellatepyramidal) as illustrated in the diagram to the left.

The following pages summarize the component cell features and assembly structure of the neo-cortex, and describe how HNeT models this architecture.  For clarity, neuron cell dendrites receive input signals and neuron cell axons relay output signals.