Lobes of the Brain and Major Surface Landmarks

Brain Overview

• Cerebral Hemispheres: The brain is made up of two halves.
• Lateral View: Looking at one hemisphere from the side.
• Cerebral Cortex: Thick layer covering hemispheres, folded into gyri (ridges) and sulci (grooves).

Key Landmarks

• Central Sulcus: Divides frontal lobe from parietal lobe.
• Sylvian Fissure: Separates temporal lobe from the rest of the hemisphere.
• Occipital Lobe: Located at the back, lacks a clear division from the rest of the brain.

Lobes and Functions

Frontal Lobes

• Functions: Movement, higher-order cognition (rational thought, decision-making, planning).
• Precentral Gyrus: Located in front of the central sulcus; primary motor cortex essential for motor control.

Parietal Lobes

• Functions: Processing sensory information, attention, and spatial representation.
• Postcentral Gyrus: Contains primary somatosensory cortex; processes the sense of touch.

Temporal Lobes

• Functions: Auditory processing, learning, and memory.

Occipital Lobes

• Functions: Visual processing; contains primary visual cortex.