Parts of the Brain: Cerebrum

Now for some neuro-anatomy. What are the basic parts of the brain, and what functions do they serve? This post and the following two posts will together attempt to provide a basic description of the parts of our brain.

There are mainly three different parts of the brain - the cerebrum, the cerebellum, and the brain stem.

The cerebrum. It is the largest part of our brain by far, and it is also responsible for most of the processes that occur in our brains. The cerebrum is divided into 4 sections called “lobes” – the Frontal Lobe, the Parietal Lobe, the Temporal Lobe, and the Occipital lobe. Additionally, the brain itself is split into 2 hemispheres which are joined by a band of nerve fibers called the corpus callosum. This structure allows the two brain halves to communicate with one another. Interesting things also happen when this ending is severed through surgery, but that will be the topic of another post.

The frontal lobe is at the front of the brain. It is responsible for problem solving, creative skills, intellect, judgment, behavior, attention, physical reactions, muscle movements, coordinated movements, smell, abstract thinking, and personality. The frontal lobe also has an area which is called the prefrontal cortex – situated at the frontmost part of the brain. This structure gives humans the unique ability to simulate outcomes – that is, envision the consequences if a particular action is taken.

The Parietal Lobe is behind the frontal lobe and is responsible for language, reading, comprehension, reading, tactile, and sensory comprehension. It contains the sensory cortex which relays information from tactile sensations as well as proprioception as well as the motor cortex, which monitors body movement.

The temporal lobe, located on the lab and right-hand sides of the cerebrum, is responsible for visual and auditory memories as well as managing some speech and hearing capabilities. It includes Wernicke’s Area which forms around the auditory complex and helps formulate and understand speech, but much is unknown about the function of this area.

The occipital lobe, situated in the back of the brain, helps control vision. It includes Broca’s Area which controls the facial neurons and helps understand speech and language.