{"id":183,"date":"2023-02-17T22:37:14","date_gmt":"2023-02-17T22:37:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/content.one.lumenlearning.com\/introductiontopsychology\/chapter\/3-1-2-learn-it-the-forebrain-and-lobes\/"},"modified":"2023-08-04T16:29:15","modified_gmt":"2023-08-04T16:29:15","slug":"3-1-2-learn-it-the-forebrain-and-lobes","status":"publish","type":"chapter","link":"https:\/\/content.one.lumenlearning.com\/introductiontopsychology\/chapter\/3-1-2-learn-it-the-forebrain-and-lobes\/","title":{"raw":"The Brain: Learn It 2\u2014Lobes of the Brain","rendered":"The Brain: Learn It 2\u2014Lobes of the Brain"},"content":{"raw":"
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Lobes of the Brain<\/h2>\r\n
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lobes of the brain<\/h3>\r\nThe four lobes of the brain are the frontal, parietal, temporal, and occipital lobes. There are rarely exact locations in the brain responsible for specific functioning, but speaking in general terms, the frontal lobe deals with higher-order thinking and motor movement, the parietal lobe helps process sensory information, the temporal lobes aid in hearing, and the occipital lobes aid in sight.\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"\" align=\"aligncenter\" width=\"487\"]\"An Figure 1<\/strong>. The lobes of the brain are shown.[\/caption]\r\n\r\n<\/section><\/section><\/section>
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the frontal lobe<\/h3>\r\nThe frontal lobe<\/strong> is located in the forward part of the brain, extending back to a fissure known as the central sulcus. The frontal lobe is involved in reasoning, motor control, emotion, and language. It contains the motor cortex<\/strong>, which is involved in planning and coordinating movement; the prefrontal cortex<\/strong>, which is responsible for higher-level cognitive functioning; and Broca\u2019s area<\/strong>, which is essential for language production.\r\n\r\n
<\/section>
\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"attachment_3485\" align=\"aligncenter\" width=\"583\"]\"Image<\/a> Figure 2.<\/strong>\u00a0Specific body parts like the tongue or fingers are mapped onto certain areas of the brain including the primary motor cortex.[\/caption]\r\n\r\nOne particularly fascinating area in the frontal lobe is called the \u201cprimary motor cortex\u201d. This strip running along the side of the brain is in charge of voluntary movements like waving goodbye, wiggling your eyebrows, and kissing. It is an excellent example of the way that the various regions of the brain are specialized. Interestingly, each of our various body parts has a unique portion of the primary motor cortex devoted to it. Each individual finger has about as much dedicated brain space as your entire leg. Your lips, in turn, require about as much dedicated brain processing as all of your fingers and your hand combined!\r\n\r\n<\/section><\/section>
People who suffer damage to Broca\u2019s area have great difficulty producing language of any form. For example, Padma was an electrical engineer who was socially active and a caring, involved mother. About twenty years ago, she was in a car accident and suffered damage to her Broca\u2019s area. She completely lost the ability to speak and form any kind of meaningful language. There is nothing wrong with her mouth or her vocal cords, but she is unable to produce words. She can follow directions but can\u2019t respond verbally, and she can read but no longer write. She can do routine tasks like running to the market to buy milk, but she can not communicate verbally.<\/section><\/section>
Because the cerebral cortex in general, and the frontal lobe in particular, are associated with such sophisticated functions as planning and being self-aware they are often thought of as a higher, less primal portion of the brain. While other animals such as rats and kangaroos do have frontal regions of their brain, they do not have the same level of development in the cerebral cortices. The closer an animal is to humans on the evolutionary tree\u2014think chimpanzees and gorillas, the more developed is this portion of their brain.<\/section><\/section>
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the parietal lobe<\/h3>\r\nThe brain\u2019s parietal lobe<\/strong> is located immediately behind the frontal lobe, and is involved in processing information from the body\u2019s senses. It contains the somatosensory cortex<\/strong>, which is essential for processing sensory information from across the body, such as touch, temperature, and pain. The somatosensory cortex is organized topographically, which means that spatial relationships that exist in the body are generally maintained on the surface of the somatosensory cortex. For example, the portion of the cortex that processes sensory information from the hand is adjacent to the portion that processes information from the wrist.\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"\" align=\"aligncenter\" width=\"392\"]\"A Figure 3<\/strong>. Spatial relationships in the body are mirrored in the organization of the somatosensory cortex.[\/caption]\r\n\r\n<\/section>
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the temporal lobe<\/h3>\r\nThe temporal lobe<\/strong> is located on the side of the head (temporal means \u201cnear the temples\u201d), and is associated with hearing, memory, emotion, and some aspects of language. The auditory cortex<\/strong>, the main area responsible for processing auditory information, is located within the temporal lobe. Wernicke\u2019s area<\/strong>, important for speech comprehension, is also located here. Whereas individuals with damage to Broca\u2019s area have difficulty producing language, those with damage to Wernicke\u2019s area can produce sensible language, but they are unable to understand it.\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"\" align=\"aligncenter\" width=\"367\"]\"An Figure 4<\/strong>. Damage to either Broca\u2019s area or Wernicke\u2019s area can result in language deficits. The types of deficits are very different, however, depending on which area is affected.[\/caption]\r\n\r\n<\/section>
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the occipital lobe<\/h3>\r\nThe occipital lobe<\/strong> is located at the very back of the brain, and contains the primary visual cortex, which is responsible for interpreting incoming visual information. The occipital cortex is organized retinotopically, which means there is a close relationship between the position of an object in a person\u2019s visual field and the position of that object\u2019s representation on the cortex. You will learn much more about how visual information is processed in the occipital lobe when you study sensation and perception.\r\n\r\n<\/section>
[ohm2_question height=\"600\"]3942[\/ohm2_question]<\/section>
[ohm2_question height=\"1200\"]3943[\/ohm2_question]<\/section><\/section><\/section>","rendered":"
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Lobes of the Brain<\/h2>\n
\n

lobes of the brain<\/h3>\n

The four lobes of the brain are the frontal, parietal, temporal, and occipital lobes. There are rarely exact locations in the brain responsible for specific functioning, but speaking in general terms, the frontal lobe deals with higher-order thinking and motor movement, the parietal lobe helps process sensory information, the temporal lobes aid in hearing, and the occipital lobes aid in sight.<\/p>\n

\"An
Figure 1<\/strong>. The lobes of the brain are shown.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/section>\n<\/section>\n<\/section>\n
\n

the frontal lobe<\/h3>\n

The frontal lobe<\/strong> is located in the forward part of the brain, extending back to a fissure known as the central sulcus. The frontal lobe is involved in reasoning, motor control, emotion, and language. It contains the motor cortex<\/strong>, which is involved in planning and coordinating movement; the prefrontal cortex<\/strong>, which is responsible for higher-level cognitive functioning; and Broca\u2019s area<\/strong>, which is essential for language production.<\/p>\n

<\/section>\n
\n
\"Image<\/a>
Figure 2.<\/strong>\u00a0Specific body parts like the tongue or fingers are mapped onto certain areas of the brain including the primary motor cortex.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

One particularly fascinating area in the frontal lobe is called the \u201cprimary motor cortex\u201d. This strip running along the side of the brain is in charge of voluntary movements like waving goodbye, wiggling your eyebrows, and kissing. It is an excellent example of the way that the various regions of the brain are specialized. Interestingly, each of our various body parts has a unique portion of the primary motor cortex devoted to it. Each individual finger has about as much dedicated brain space as your entire leg. Your lips, in turn, require about as much dedicated brain processing as all of your fingers and your hand combined!<\/p>\n<\/section>\n<\/section>\n

\n
People who suffer damage to Broca\u2019s area have great difficulty producing language of any form. For example, Padma was an electrical engineer who was socially active and a caring, involved mother. About twenty years ago, she was in a car accident and suffered damage to her Broca\u2019s area. She completely lost the ability to speak and form any kind of meaningful language. There is nothing wrong with her mouth or her vocal cords, but she is unable to produce words. She can follow directions but can\u2019t respond verbally, and she can read but no longer write. She can do routine tasks like running to the market to buy milk, but she can not communicate verbally.<\/section>\n<\/section>\n
Because the cerebral cortex in general, and the frontal lobe in particular, are associated with such sophisticated functions as planning and being self-aware they are often thought of as a higher, less primal portion of the brain. While other animals such as rats and kangaroos do have frontal regions of their brain, they do not have the same level of development in the cerebral cortices. The closer an animal is to humans on the evolutionary tree\u2014think chimpanzees and gorillas, the more developed is this portion of their brain.<\/section>\n<\/section>\n
\n

the parietal lobe<\/h3>\n

The brain\u2019s parietal lobe<\/strong> is located immediately behind the frontal lobe, and is involved in processing information from the body\u2019s senses. It contains the somatosensory cortex<\/strong>, which is essential for processing sensory information from across the body, such as touch, temperature, and pain. The somatosensory cortex is organized topographically, which means that spatial relationships that exist in the body are generally maintained on the surface of the somatosensory cortex. For example, the portion of the cortex that processes sensory information from the hand is adjacent to the portion that processes information from the wrist.<\/p>\n

\"A
Figure 3<\/strong>. Spatial relationships in the body are mirrored in the organization of the somatosensory cortex.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/section>\n
\n

the temporal lobe<\/h3>\n

The temporal lobe<\/strong> is located on the side of the head (temporal means \u201cnear the temples\u201d), and is associated with hearing, memory, emotion, and some aspects of language. The auditory cortex<\/strong>, the main area responsible for processing auditory information, is located within the temporal lobe. Wernicke\u2019s area<\/strong>, important for speech comprehension, is also located here. Whereas individuals with damage to Broca\u2019s area have difficulty producing language, those with damage to Wernicke\u2019s area can produce sensible language, but they are unable to understand it.<\/p>\n

\"An
Figure 4<\/strong>. Damage to either Broca\u2019s area or Wernicke\u2019s area can result in language deficits. The types of deficits are very different, however, depending on which area is affected.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/section>\n
\n

the occipital lobe<\/h3>\n

The occipital lobe<\/strong> is located at the very back of the brain, and contains the primary visual cortex, which is responsible for interpreting incoming visual information. The occipital cortex is organized retinotopically, which means there is a close relationship between the position of an object in a person\u2019s visual field and the position of that object\u2019s representation on the cortex. You will learn much more about how visual information is processed in the occipital lobe when you study sensation and perception.<\/p>\n<\/section>\n