Cerebrum: Anatomy, Function and Location

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Cerebrum Meaning and Location

Our brain consists of three main parts: cerebrum, cerebellum and brainstem. The cerebrum is the largest part of the brain. It is situated in the uppermost part of the brain. It is divided into left and right hemispheres by deep fissures but they remain in contact with each other by the corpus callosum.

The cerebrum consists of the cerebral cortex (of both the hemispheres) and other subcortical structures such as the hippocampus, basal ganglia and olfactory bulb. The cerebrum is also known as the endbrain or telencephalon. The cerebrum assists in controlling language, somatosensory, cognitive, motor, emotions and memory related functions.

Cerebrum Anatomy

Cerebrum is the largest and most developed portion of the human brain. It is located in the uppermost part of the brain. However, in some animals it lies on top or in front of the brainstem. The cerebrum is divided into two hemispheres, it is made up of cerebral cortices which is the outer layer of grey matter and the hidden regions of white matter. The two hemispheres are C-shaped and are separated from each other by deep longitudinal fissures. Other subcortical structures of the cerebrum include basal ganglia, olfactory bulb and hippocampus.

Refer: Midbrain Function – NEET Biology Notes

Cerebral Hemisphere

The two cerebral hemispheres have an outer layer of cerebral cortex that is made up of grey matter. The core or the inner layer of the cerebrum is made up of white matter and is also known as centrum semiovale. The inner portion of the cerebrum consists of the basal ganglia, lateral ventricles and the white matter.

Both the hemispheres are organised contralaterally, meaning, the left hemisphere controls the ride side of our body and the right hemisphere controls the left side of our body.

Cerebral Cortex

The cerebral cortex is about 2 mm thick and has numerous folds on its surfaces that are known as ridges (gyri) and grooves (sulci). The cerebral hemispheres are divided into four lobes by the central sulcus, lateral fissure and the parieto-occipital sulcus.

Frontal Lobe

The frontal lobe is situated anterior to the central sulcus and posterior to the lateral fissure. The frontal lobe consists of an inferior, middle and superior frontal gyri, orbital area and primary motor cortex. It controls our motor and executive functions. It assists in our problem-solving, personality, behaviour, planning, concentration, writing, speaking and intelligence.

Parietal Lobe

The parietal lobe is situated anterior to the parieto-occipital sulcus and posterior to the central sulcus. It controls sensations and perceptions such as the sense of touch and temperature.

Temporal Lobe

The temporal lobe is situated inferiorly to the lateral fissure. It is further divided into inferior, middle and superior temporal gyri. This lobe assists in memory, hearing and language comprehension.

Occipital Lobe

The occipital lobe is located posteriorly to the parieto-occipital sulcus. It helps us in facial recognition, interpreting colour, depth, distance and vision.

Function of Cerebrum

The cerebrum as a whole functions to control our emotions, vision, personality and intelligence. The upper motor neurons in the motor cortex send information via axons to the spinal cord and brainstem where they synapse with lower motor neurons that innervate the muscles.

  • The cerebral cortex receives all the audioty, visual, somatosensory and gustatory information and processes it with the cortices to make us feel these perceptions.
  • The olfactory bulb is a small structure located under the frontal lobe. It processes the olfactory information and sends them directly to the olfactory cortex instead of thalamus. Damage to the olfactory bulb can lead to loss of smell.
  • The cerebral cortex controls the speech and language traits. Wernicke’s area, situated at the temporal-parietal lobe junction, is attributed to speech comprehension. Broca’s area, situated in the frontal lobe, controls the language functioning.
  • The hippocampus and the medial temporal lobe are associated with memory.

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