Lobes of the brain

The brain can be thought of as comprising five ‘lobes’ – the four lobes of the cerebral cortex and a fifth lobe, the insula, deep within the brain, as shown on the slide.^[1,2,3] The lobes of the cerebral cortex are named after the cranial bones that overlie them (frontal, parietal, occipital, and temporal).^[3]

The lobes have distinct functions. The frontal lobe has a diverse range of behavioural functions, including movement, speech, cognition, and emotion.^[3] The parietal lobe mediates perceptions of touch, pain, and proprioception.^[3] The occipital lobe can be thought of as the visual processing centre, containing the primary visual cortex.^[3] Finally, the temporal lobe controls a range of sensory functions, and is important in memory and emotion.^[3]

References:

[1] Price SA, Wilson LM. Pathophysiology: Clinical Concepts of Disease Processes. 6th edition. Mosby, 2003.

[2] Tortora GJ, Derrickson B. Principles of Anatomy and Physiology. 12th edition. John Wiley & Sons, 2009.

[3] Martin JH. Neuroanatomy Text and Atlas. 3rd edition. McGraw-Hill, 2003.