Lobes of the Cerebrum

Lobes of the Cerebrum

I don’t know why I go over the lobes of the brain.  I don’t know why books even include them anymore.  These lobes are really really general areas of the brain.  30 years ago, learning about lobes was all we had. Today, we have so much more information about the brain. We know the more specific areas within the lobes that perform certain functions.  But, let’s go over them as a general intro.  There are 5 lobes of the brain. Only 4 of them are named for the bone under which they are located.  You can clearly see the lobes on this picture here.  The 5^th lobe is the insulaA deep brain region involved in taste, emotions, and visceral functions., which is deepAway from the surface of the body. to these other 4.  If we peeled back some brain tissue on this picture, we’d see the insula.

Frontal Lobe

Your frontal lobeThe brain region responsible for decision-making, personality, and voluntary movements. is the seat of your personality.  All the decisions that make you you take place here.  I had a friend in high school. She suffered a frontalForehead bone; forms the front part of the skull and roof of the orbits. Smooth and curved. lobe injury from a car accident. She was a completely different person afterwards.  A lot happier, so maybe it was an improvement!  Your frontal lobe is doing the heavy lifting when you are studying.  This is where you store specific memories.  So, when you need to make a decision, you think about past experiences. You also consider the consequences to make that decision.

When we learned about the spinal cordThe central nervous system structure that relays signals between the brain and body., we realized that sensory was posterior and motor was anteriorThe front of the body or toward the front when standing in the anatomical position..  That still applies here to the brain.  Your frontal lobe houses two areas or cortices (singular cortex): the premotor cortex and the primary motor cortex.  All somatic motor output leaves by way of these two areas.  The premotor plans the output and the motor send it down the spinal cord.

Occipital Lobe

In many areas of the brain, you’ll find a cortex that senses something and a cortex that interprets that something.  The occipital lobeThe brain region responsible for visual processing. is involved only in visual awareness and processing.  It’s a two step process with the brain.  At first, the occipitalPosterior and base of the skull; curves under to form the back of the head. lobe just acknowledges that you saw something.  Then, the occipital lobe will process that information and put some meaning to it. 

Parietal Lobe

The parietal lobeThe brain region responsible for sensory perception and spatial awareness. is like the kitchen drawer. It performs various tasks. This shows that using these lobes to learn about the brain is not effective.  Look at what we have here: taste, language, and touch. These functions also include temperature, understanding math, and knowing how to pack the trunk of a car.  I once went on a vacation with a bunch of people, one of which was a German physicist.  We were all trying to pack the car. At one point, I said, “Why don’t we let the man who has the most advanced spatial perception pack the trunk?” 

Temporal Lobe

Same for the temporal lobeThe brain region responsible for processing sound and memory. – it’s a list of unconnected things.  Lots of sensory input, almost all types, and language and learning.  Not memoryThe ability to store and recall information., memory consolidationThe process of strengthening memories for long-term storage..  So, when you study for a test, the temporal lobe doesn’t help you memorize.  It helps you consolidate memories.  This is why you need to read it and say it. You should hear it and draw it. Do as much as you can to consolidate something into memory.  Just looking or reading doesn’t do it.  Working with it does.

Insula Lobe

The jobs of the insula and the temporal lobes overlap somewhat.  What is unique to the insula is emotion and empathy.  This is where the limbic systemA group of brain structures responsible for emotions and memory. is housed.  The limbic system consists of several brain areas working together. They produce emotions like fear, addiction, anxiety, and happiness.  But, no one talks about the insula. People only talk about the limbic system. This is further evidence that the understanding of the brain has moved beyond the generalized areas of the lobes.