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If we were to view the brain from the top, it can be divided into left and right hemispheres.
These are joined together by a band of nerve tissue called the corpus callosum.
Source: Getty
Corpus callosum
The lobes contain areas of the cortex that specialise in particular functions.
Frontal lobe
The frontal lobe:
includes the primary motor cortex which controls voluntary bodily movements performs complex mental functions is involved with attention, personality, control of emotions and expression of emotional behaviour also contains Brocas area, in the left hemisphere, which plays a crucial role in speech production.
Parietal lobe
Parietal lobe:
includes the primary sensory cortex, which receives and processes sensory information is also involved in attention and spatial reasoning liaises with other lobes to allow us to sense the position of our body in space. A huge part of the primary sensory cortex is devoted to sensations of the mouth and hands.
contains the primary auditory cortex, which receives and processes sounds from both ears is also involved in memory, visual perception, object identification and emotional responses to sensory information and memories also contains Wernickes area, in the left hemisphere, which is crucial in speech comprehension.
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Hemisphere specialisation
While both hemispheres are involved in almost all brain functions, hemispheres can exert greater control in clearly distinguishable functions. Which do you think is your dominant hemisphere?
Quick quiz
Question 1: What are the two cerebral hemispheres connected by? Answer: The corpus callosum. Question 2: Which parts of the body have the highest proportional representation on the primary sensory cortex? Answer: The hands and the mouth. Question 3: Where is Brocas area located? Answer: On the left frontal lobe. Question 4: State three cognitive functions of the left hemisphere. Answer: Language, analysis, logical reasoning, verbal skills. Question 5: Which lobe contains the primary visual cortex? Answer: The occipital lobe. Question 6: What is the role of the temporal lobe? Answer: It is largely involved in auditory processing, but it is also involved in memory, visual perception and emotional responses. Question 7: Which sense bypasses the thalamus and goes directly to the cerebral cortex? Answer: Smell. Question 8: What two systems does the spinal cord integrate? Answer: Central and peripheral nervous systems.