cortex vs cerebral cortex

cortex and cerebral cortex both are nouns.

Word	Noun	Adjective	Verb	Adverb
cortex	Yes	No	No	No
cerebral cortex	Yes	No	No	No

As nouns, cortex and cerebral cortex are synonyms defined as:

cortex and cerebral cortex: the layer of unmyelinated neurons (the grey matter) forming the cortex of the cerebrum

Other synonyms of cortex include cerebral mantle, pallium.

cortex (noun)	cerebral cortex (noun)
the tissue forming the outer layer of an organ or structure in plant or animal	the layer of unmyelinated neurons (the grey matter) forming the cortex of the cerebrum
the layer of unmyelinated neurons (the grey matter) forming the cortex of the cerebrum
the tissue that surrounds the lens nucleus