The term somatosensory cortex refers to a composite structure that includes those portions of the cerebral cortex that are part of the somatosensory system. In the human and the macaque it is located almost totally in the parietal lobe. It includes four components: the anterior parietal cortex, the posterior parietal cortex, the somatosensory cortex of the medial wall and the somatosensory cortex of the lateral fissure ( Kaas-2004 ).