The Cerebrum

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Intro

-The largest part of the forebrain

-Responsible for the integration of sensory and neural functions

*Largest and most complex part of the human brain

*Includes areas responsible for many complex mental activities

-Known for memory and learning

-Made up of 3 areas:

*Cerebral Cortex

*Cerebral Hemispheres

*Corpus Callosum

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Cerebral Cortex

-The outermost layer of the cerebrum

-Consists of deep grooves and ridges across the surface

-Folded up and bent to fit the skull

*Approximately 1.5 square feet long

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Cerebral Hemispheres

-The cerebrum is divided into two halves called the cerebral hemispheres

-Hemispheres are separated by a longitudinal fissure that extends from the front to the back of the brain.

-Left hemisphere controls the right side of the body

-Right hemisphere controls the left side of the body

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Corpus Callosum

-Communication between the two cerebral hemispheres occurs through the corpus callosum

-It is a thick band of axon fibers that connects the cerebral hemispheres.

*Over 2 million axon fibers

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Occipital Lobe

-Portion of the Cerebral cortex located that the back of the head that includes areas responsible for visual processing

*Visual processing begins in the primary visual cortex, which is located at the very back of the occipital lobe.

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Parietal Lobe

-This lobe is the portion of the cerebral cortex located in front of the occipital lobe that includes areas responsible for registering sensations and monitoring body position.

*Is also responsible for the integration of visual input

*Contains the primary somatosensory cortex

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Primary Somatosensory Cortex

-Located in the front area of the parietal lobe

-Receives signals from various areas of the body registering sensory input

-Stimulation in specific areas of the somatosensory cortex results in felling sensation on the corresponding body part

*Tissue area of sensory cortex is larger for more sensitive body regions

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Temporal Lobe

-It is the portion of the cerebral cortex located below the parietal lobe that includes areas responsible for auditory processing

*The primary auditory cortex is located at the top of the temporal lobe

**Receives auditory information from the ears

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Frontal Lobe

-It is the portion of the cerebral cortex located behind the forehead that includes areas responsible for speaking, muscle movement, and making decisions and judgments.

*Largest lobe in the human brain

*Contains the primary motor cortex, mirror neurons, and the prefrontal cortex

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Primary Motor Cortex

-Located at the top of the head in front of the somatosensory cortex

-Controls the movement of muscles

*Amount of tissue associated with specific body region corresponds to complexity and amount of control it takes to move the body part

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Mirror Neurons

-Neurons that are triggered upon performing an action of observing another perform an action

-Found by chance during experiments with monkeys

-Mirror Neuron circuits have been found in the frontal and parietal lobe in humans.

-It has been associated with:

*Developing motor skills

*Imitating others

*Feeling empathy

*Understanding social behavior

*Developing language

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Prefrontal Cortex

-Located in front of the primary motor cortex

-May be in charge of:

*Processing information in memory

*Decision making

*Reasoning about object or event relationships

*Monitoring, organizing, integrating, and directing thought processes

-Takes up 1/3 or the cerebral cortex

-Function is not entirely clear to researchers

-May contribute to a variety of higher-order functions

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