What Is The Control Center Of The Brain

The Command Center

One of the amazing things virtually the brain is the thought of neuronal plasticity. Neurons have the power to adjust and adjust to different sensory input, often within minutes. This explains how blind people have such well-developed hearing and sense of touch: Unused neurons are used to process sensory input from the other senses. This becomes important as yous await at the specific areas of the brain. Many people want to know which parts of the brain are used for what functions.

Although we have a full general idea, things are actually more complicated than they look on the surface. On a cellular level, apart from a scissure here and a sulcus in that location, few regions of the brain are clearly anatomically distinguishable. Functions can extend into neighboring areas, non to mention areas carrying out multiple functions. Nosotros might be able to specify, at to the lowest degree to a certain extent, the speech area, just what about consciousness, which appears to involve grayness affair all over both hemispheres?

Dem Lobes, Dem Lobes, Dem Four Lobes

Now I told you those cranial bones would come in handy, because the four lobes of the cerebrum can all exist constitute direct under the cranial basic of the aforementioned name (see Figure 20.v). These lobes are separated by various sulci, such equally the fundamental sulcus separating the frontal and parietal lobes. Each of these lobes is, however, continuous with the others when you look at the white matter deeper within.

Figure 20.5

The four lobes of the brain, and several important areas of specialization. (LifeART1989-2001, Lippincott Williams & Wilkins)

The partitioning is really somewhat arbitrary, even, to a certain extent functionally, because the functions that appear to be on the border of one lobe may very well accept agile neurons in the neighboring lobe. Some functions are so plain distant from other lobes that they tin exist considered unique to that lobe, and nevertheless others, such as consciousness really involve multiple lobes. With that in mind, the post-obit table indicates the areas of each lobe, and the functions associated with them.

The Functions of Each Lobe of the Brain
Area of the Lobe	Specific Function(southward)
Frontal Lobe
Precentral gyrus	Voluntary skeletal muscle control
Premotor cortex	Somatic motor association (interpreting complex motion)
Broca's area	Voice communication (muscles and breathing)
Prefrontal cortex	Coordinated data from all the association areas of the brain to predict consequences of futurity events (frustration/feet centered here)
Parietal Lobe
Postcentral gyrus	Almost senses
Somatosensory clan area	Estimation of senses to approximate the proper reactions
Wernicke'south or general interpretive surface area (usually left side)	Connects senses with auditory or visual memory (mental connections!), thus of import to personality
Temporal Lobe
Olfactory cortex	Odor
Auditory cortex	Hearing
Auditory association area	Interpretation of hearing, such as word recognition (receptive speech communication)
Wernicke'due south area	Role of both lobes
Occipital Lobe
Visual cortex	Vision
Visual clan expanse	Interpretation of vision, such equally written word recognition

Cerebellum

The pair of cerebellar lobes, which extend out the back of the pons (see the brainstem), around the fourth ventricle, is pretty cool. Similar to the cerebrum, in that location are 2 cerebellar hemispheres that are each divided into an anterior lobe and a posterior (center) lobe, plus a lobe involved with residue hidden underneath, that has the coolest name: flocculonodular lobe.

Yeah, yeah, just what does it do? Well, it turns out that the primary motor cortex doesn't actually do the greatest of jobs! When instructions are sent from the frontal cortex, the cerebellum coordinates the motility to make information technology smooth. With very complex movements, such every bit playing an instrument, the cerebellum is essential! Walking would not be possible if it weren't for the coordination of the muscles, and the detected balance, in the cerebellum.

book cover

Excerpted from The Complete Idiot'southward Guide to Anatomy and Physiology 2004 by Michael J. Vieira Lazaroff. All rights reserved including the right of reproduction in whole or in part in any course. Used by arrangement with Alpha Books, a member of Penguin Group (USA) Inc.

To order this volume direct from the publisher, visit the Penguin USA website or call 1-800-253-6476. You tin can also purchase this book at Amazon.com and Barnes & Noble.