How are the somatic and autonomic nervous systems similar? Which spinal segments have gray communicants? Which have white rami? What is the control center of the parasympathetic nervous system? What is the center of control Which specific nerve receptors do Beta blockers block in the involuntary nervous system?
How is a nerve impulse propagated along the neuron and across a synapse? The auditory cortex , the main area responsible for processing auditory information, is located within the temporal lobe. The occipital lobe is located at the very back of the brain, and contains the primary visual cortex, which is responsible for interpreting incoming visual information. You will learn much more about how visual information is processed in the occipital lobe when you study sensation and perception.
Consider the following advice from Joseph LeDoux, a professor of neuroscience and psychology at New York University, as you learn about the specific parts of the brain:. Be suspicious of any statement that says a brain area is a center responsible for some function.
The notion of functions being products of brain areas or centers is left over from the days when most evidence about brain function was based on the effects of brain lesions localized to specific areas. Today, we think of functions as products of systems rather than of areas. Neurons in areas contribute because they are part of a system. The amygdala, for example, contributes to threat detection because it is part of a threat detection system.
And just because the amygdala contributes to threat detection does not mean that threat detection is the only function to which it contributes. Amygdala neurons, for example, are also components of systems that process the significance of stimuli related to eating, drinking, sex, and addictive drugs. Improve this page Learn More. Skip to main content. Search for:. Create a personalised content profile.
Measure ad performance. Select basic ads. Create a personalised ads profile. Select personalised ads. Apply market research to generate audience insights. Measure content performance. Develop and improve products. List of Partners vendors. The human brain is not only one of the most important organs in the human body; it is also the most complex. The brain is made up of billions of neurons and that it also has a number of specialized parts that are each involved in important functions.
While there is still a great deal that researchers do not yet know about the brain, they have learned a great deal about the anatomy and function of the brain.
Understanding these parts can help give people a better idea of how disease and damage may affect the brain and its ability to function. The cerebral cortex is the part of the brain that makes human beings unique. Functions that originate in the cerebral cortex include:. The cerebral cortex is what we see when we look at the brain. It is the outermost portion that can be divided into four lobes. Each bump on the surface of the brain is known as a gyrus, while each groove is known as a sulcus.
The cerebral cortex can be divided into four sections, which are known as lobes. The frontal lobe, parietal lobe, occipital lobe, and temporal lobe have been associated with different functions ranging from reasoning to auditory perception. This lobe is located at the front of the brain and is associated with reasoning, motor skills, higher level cognition, and expressive language.
At the back of the frontal lobe, near the central sulcus, lies the motor cortex. The motor cortex receives information from various lobes of the brain and uses this information to carry out body movements. Damage to the frontal lobe can lead to changes in sexual habits, socialization, and attention as well as increased risk-taking. The parietal lobe is located in the middle section of the brain and is associated with processing tactile sensory information such as pressure, touch, and pain.
A portion of the brain known as the somatosensory cortex is located in this lobe and is essential to the processing of the body's senses. The temporal lobe is located on the bottom section of the brain. This lobe is also the location of the primary auditory cortex, which is important for interpreting sounds and the language we hear. The hippocampus is also located in the temporal lobe, which is why this portion of the brain is also heavily associated with the formation of memories.
Damage to the temporal lobe can lead to problems with memory, speech perception, and language skills. The occipital lobe is located at the back portion of the brain and is associated with interpreting visual stimuli and information.
The primary visual cortex, which receives and interprets information from the retinas of the eyes, is located in the occipital lobe. Damage to this lobe can cause visual problems such as difficulty recognizing objects, an inability to identify colors, and trouble recognizing words.
The brainstem is an area located at the base of the brain that contains structures vital for involuntary functions such as the heartbeat and breathing. The brain stem is comprised of the midbrain, pons, and medulla. The midbrain is often considered the smallest region of the brain. It acts as a sort of relay station for auditory and visual information.
The midbrain controls many important functions such as the visual and auditory systems as well as eye movement. These are known as gyri bumps and sulci groves or fissures. The folding of the brain, and the resulting gyri and sulci, increases its surface area and enables more cerebral cortex matter to fit inside the skull.
The frontal lobe is separated from the parietal lobe by a space called the central sulcus , and from the temporal lobe by the lateral sulcus. The frontal lobe is generally where higher executive functions including emotional regulation, planning, reasoning and problem solving occur. This is why in frontotemporal dementia , personality changes are often the first signs of the disease. The most famous case of frontal lobe dysfunction is the story of railway worker Phineas Gage.
In , Gage was using a tamping iron to pack in gunpowder for blasting a tunnel through rock. While his head was slightly turned, a mistaken strike sparked an explosion that forced the rod upwards into his left eye and out through his skull.
Miraculously, Gage survived, blinded in his left eye and sustaining damage to much of his left frontal lobe.
The frontal lobe also contains the primary motor cortex, the major region responsible for voluntary movement. Image: In , Phineas Gage survived an explosion that drove a tamping iron through his left frontal lobe.
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