The 5 lobes of the brain and their different functions

It is very common to believe that human thoughts, feelings and emotions have their origin in two parts of the brain that work together: the brain hemispheres, two halves practically identical to each other that are distinguished by the processes that are carried out in them.

This idea, although partially true, provides a very simple explanation about our operation, because within each hemisphere we can find an almost infinite amount of organic structures in charge of carrying out different tasks and functions that influence our behavior.

In this article you can find a general explanation about some of the most important parts of our "thinking machine": the lobes of the brain and their functions.

• Related article: "Parts of the human brain (and functions)"

Basics of the lobes of the brain

Anatomically, it is very easy to recognize the division between the two hemispheres of the brain, because seen from above a remarkable space keeps them separate. It is the interhemispheric fissure, which is something like a rectilinear fissure that separates the parts upper and more superficial parts of the brain and delimits where a cerebral hemisphere begins and where it ends other.

However, beyond this obvious sign thanks to which we can get a very superficial idea about the anatomy of the brain, if what we want to examine is the structure of each of these elements, the thing is complicates.

Each hemisphere is covered by a layer called the cerebral cortex. (which is the most visible part of the brain and seems to be full of wrinkles and furrows), and this cortex can be divided into different parts according to its different functions and locations. This classification into differentiated areas within each of the cerebral hemispheres shows us the existence of several lobes of the brain. Let's see how they are.

Lobes of the brain and their functions

What we know as lobes of the brain consists of a classification by plots of the cerebral cortex that allows mapping the main areas of nerve activity. These are not radically separated areas from each other, but they are relatively easy to distinguish one from the other if we look at the folds and the different brain fissures.

These plots are the lobes of the brain, and below you can read its most basic aspects, taking into account that each cerebral hemisphere has the same number, types and distribution of lobes.

1. Frontal lobe

Marked on blue in the image.

In humans, it is the biggest of the lobes of the brain. It is characterized by its role in the cognitive function processing high-level planning, coordination, execution, and behavior control. By extension, it also enables goal setting, forecasting, language articulation and the regulation of emotions.

In addition, the frontal lobe has the ability to take others into account (since it counteracts the influence of impulses to satisfy our desires immediately, in favor of long-term goals) and establish theory of mind, which is our ability to infer things about the mental state of the the rest. For example, the fact of being aware that we know something that another person does not know, is possible thanks to the theory of mind.

In short, this is one of the brain lobes with a more prominent role in the functions that we would relate to a more direct way with intelligence, planning and coordination of sequences of voluntary movements complex. This part of the crust is typical of vertebrate animals and is especially large in mammals since this evolutionary group contains the most intelligent species on the planet.

• More on this lobe in the following post: "What is the frontal lobe and how does it work?"

2. Parietal lobe

Marked on yellow in the image.

It is located between the frontal and occipital lobes, and is primarily responsible for process sensory information that comes from all parts of the body, such as touch, the sensation of temperature, pain and pressure, and is able to relate this information to the recognition of numbers. It also makes movement control possible thanks to its proximity to the planning centers of the frontal lobe.

In addition, it receives visual information from the occipital lobe and works by creating associations between this type of data and other inputs from other areas.

3. Occipital lobe

Marked on rose in the image. In humans, it is the smallest of the four main lobes of the brain and is located at the back of the skull, near the nape of the neck.

It is the first area of ​​the neocortex to which the visual information. Therefore, it has a crucial role in the recognition of objects whose light is projected on the retina, although by itself it does not have the ability to create coherent images. These images are created from the processing of these data in areas of the brain called visual association areas.

The occipital lobe sends information about vision to other lobes of the brain through two different communication channels.

• The first of them, which goes towards the frontal area of ​​the brain through the ventral area (that is, the furthest from the upper area of ​​the head), processes information about the "what" of what is seen, that is, the content of the view.

• The second channel, which goes to the front through the dorsal area (close to the crown), processes the "how" and "where" of what is seen, that is, aspects of movement and location in a more context large.

4. Temporal lobe

Marked on green in the image.

The temporal lobes of each hemisphere are located on the sides of the brain, arranged horizontally and attached to the temples.

They receive information from many other areas and lobes of the brain and their functions have to do with the memory and pattern recognition in data from the senses. Therefore, it plays a role in the face recognition and voices, but also in the memory of words.

5. Insula

The insula is a part of the cortex that is hidden between the rest of the lobes of the brain and, to see it, it is necessary to separate the temporal and parietal lobes from each other. That is why it is often not considered as one more lobe.

It is attached to structures in charge of make possible the appearance ofemotions, being very connected to many areas of the limbic system, and is probably responsible for mediating between these and the cognitive processes that take place in the rest of the lobes of the brain.

Bibliographic references:

• Colledge, Nicki R.; Walker, Brian R.; Ralston, Stuart H.; Ralston, eds. (2010). Davidson's Principles and Practice of Medicine (21st ed.). Edinburgh: Churchill Livingstone / Elsevier. ISBN 978-0-7020-3085-7.
• Stuss, D.T. & Knight, R.T. (2013), Principles of Frontal Lobe Function. New York: Oxford University Press.
• Hall, John (2011). Guyton and Hall Textbook of Medical Physiology (12th ed.). Philadelphia, PA: Saunders / Elsevier. ISBN 978-1-4160-4574-8.
• Netter, F. (2014). Atlas of Human Anatomy Including Student Consult Interactive Ancillaries and Guides (6th ed.). Philadelphia, Penn.: W B Saunders Co.
• Van Essen, DC (January 23, 1997). "A tension-based theory of morphogenesis and compact wiring in the central nervous system". Nature.