Lobes and Their Function

Lobes of the brain and their functions:

The brain can be divided into four sections, which are known as lobes: the frontal lobe, parietal lobe, occipital lobe and temporal lobe have been associated with different functions ranging from reasoning to auditory perception.

The frontal lobe is located at the front of the brain and is associated with reasoning, motor skills, higher level cognition, memory and expressive language. It performs executive functions by coordinating and organizing other brain areas. At the back of the frontal lobe, near the central sulcus, lies the motor cortex. This area of the brain receives information from various lobes of the brain and utilizes this information to carry out body movements. Damage to the frontal lobe can lead to changes in sexual habits, socialization, and attention as well as increased risk-taking.

In front of the motor cortex lies a large expanse of the frontal lobe called the prefrontal cortex, which is responsible for thinking, planning, and language. The prefrontal cortex, which receives information from many other regions of the cerebral cortex, also contributes to mood, personality, and self-awareness.

The parietal lobe is the upper middle part of the cerebral cortex lying behind the frontal lobe, and is associated with processing tactile sensory information such as pressure, touch, temperature, and pain. A portion of the brain known as the somatosensory cortex is located in this lobe and is essential to the processing of the body's senses. It helps us track object’s location, shapes and orientations. The parietal lobe communicates visual and touch information to the motor cortex every time we reach, grasp, and move our eyes. It also helps us process others’ actions and represent numbers. Damage to the parietal lobe can result in problems with verbal memory, an impaired ability to control eye gaze and problems with language.

The temporal lobe is located on the bottom section of the brain. This lobe is...