Key ideas

• The cerebral cortex, the brain's outer layer, is divided into two hemispheres and into lobes that specialize in different functions.
• The thalamus relays sensory information to the relevant areas of the cortex: vision to the occipital lobes, hearing and language to the temporal lobes.
• The parietal lobes process touch through the somatosensory cortex and contain association areas that combine different kinds of sensory information.
• The prefrontal cortex at the front of the frontal lobes handles executive functions like planning, decision-making, and impulse control.
• The motor cortex, at the rear of the frontal lobes, controls voluntary movement and sits right next to the somatosensory cortex in the parietal lobes.

Key terms

cerebral cortex

The brain's outer layer, divided into two hemispheres and into regions called lobes.

occipital lobes

Lobes at the back of the brain that process visual information (occipital sounds like optical).

temporal lobes

Lobes on the sides of the brain, by the ears, involved in hearing and understanding language (think: tempo of music).

parietal lobes

Lobes near the top and back of the brain; contain the somatosensory cortex and association areas.

somatosensory cortex

Area in the parietal lobes that processes touch.

association areas

Areas that combine and organize different kinds of sensory information, such as sight, touch, and body position.

frontal lobes

Lobes at the front of the brain; contain the prefrontal cortex and the motor cortex.

prefrontal cortex

Very front of the frontal lobes; key for executive functions like planning, decision-making, and impulse control.

motor cortex

Rear of the frontal lobes; controls most voluntary skeletal movements.

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