image by: Deutsches Zentrum für Neurodegenerative Erkrankungen

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The human brain, explained

The cerebrum is the largest part of the brain, accounting for 85 percent of the organ's weight. The distinctive, deeply wrinkled outer surface is the cerebral cortex. It's the cerebrum that makes the human brain—and therefore humans—so formidable. Animals such as elephants, dolphins, and whales actually have larger brains, but humans have the most developed cerebrum. It's packed to capacity inside our skulls, with deep folds that cleverly maximize the total surface area of the cortex.

The cerebrum has two halves, or hemispheres, that are further divided into four regions, or lobes. The frontal lobes, located behind the forehead, are involved with speech, thought, learning, emotion,…

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 The Cerebrum

The cerebrum is a term often used to describe the entire brain. A fissure or groove that separates the two hemispheres is called the great longitudinal fissure. The two sides of the brain are joined at the bottom by the corpus callosum. The corpus callosum connects the two halves of the brain and delivers messages from one half of the brain to the other. The surface of the cerebrum contains billions of neurons and glia that together form the cerebral cortex. The cerebral cortex, which is the most superficial part of the hemispheres and is only a few millimeters in thickness, is composed of gray matter, in contrast to the interior of the hemispheres, which is composed partly of white matter.

Articles of Interest

Anatomy of the Brain: Your Cerebrum

The cerebrum, also known as the telencephalon, is the largest and most highly developed part of your brain. It encompasses about two-thirds of the brain mass and lies over and around most of the structures of your brain. The word cerebrum comes from Latin cerebrum, meaning "brain."

Cerebrum Function: What is and How is Tested

Cerebrum, also known as telencephalon along with diencephalon is what organizes the forebrain. It is like the center of an organization that controls the functions of every department. The cerebrum function as the coordinator of the body responsible for directing the senses like hearing, vision, balance, smell, and taste. As the one controlling all the actions in vertebrates, the cerebrum contains billions of neurons connected to other neurons signalling the body to create actions.

Cerebrum: Function Of The Largest Part Of The Human Brain

The cerebrum is the latest evolutionary feature of the brain and is the largest part of the brain. The cerebrum is located in the uppermost region of the central nervous system and contains the cerebral cortex, hippocampus, basal ganglia, and olfactory bulb.

Did You Know These Facts About Your Brain?

Known as the largest part of the brain, the cerebrum controls body movement and learning functions. Anyone who wants to do physical activity like playing football or being a ballet dancer needs the cerebrum to function. The cerebrum also helps us solve problems, analyze situations, and make important decisions. The right half of the cerebrum helps with more artistic, abstract activities while the left half helps us with analytical and logical problem-solving.

Lobes of the brain

Although we now know that most brain functions rely on many different regions across the entire brain working in conjunction, it is still true that each lobe carries out the bulk of certain functions.

Right Brain, Left Brain: A Misnomer

The human brain is basically symmetrical, split down the middle: the right cerebral hemisphere receives sensory input from and directs movement on the left side of the body, while the left hemisphere governs corresponding functions for the right side. Symmetry only goes so far, however—there are differences, too. Yet in recent years, the two sides of the brain have come to symbolize two sides of human nature; the left brain hailed (or disparaged) as “logical,”“analytical, and “intellectual,” and the “intuitive” right brain as the avatar of emotion and creativity. A host of popular books, educational strategies, and even therapeutic interventions have ensued, promising to enhance abilities and relieve mental maladies by optimizing function on one or the other side of the cerebral cortex. The reality is not so simple—and a good deal more interesting. And like so much in neuroscience, far from fully understood.

The Anatomy of the Cerebrum

The cerebrum is the largest part of the brain and it's what most people envision when thinking of the brain. It is divided into two halves, or hemispheres, and its outer layer has large folds and creases of tissue that give the brain its characteristic wrinkly appearance. The cerebrum is responsible for processing sensory functions like vision, hearing, and touch; and it is involved in movement of your body. It's also the source of intellect and enables you to think, plan, read, hold memories, and process emotions—among many other tasks.

What is it about the human brain that gives us the edge?

The cerebrum is the largest and, for most people, the most easily recognisable part of the brain. From an evolutionary perspective, it is also the newest part. It’s in this section that processes such as perception, decision-making, thought, judgement and imagination occur.

What Is The Cerebrum? What Is Its Structure And Function?

The cerebrum is divided into two parts, the outer grey matter covering the surface of the cerebrum called the cerebral cortex and the inner medullary region called the white matter. The cerebral cortex which comes from the Latin word for bark is covered by a layer that is approximately 1/10th of an inch thick. This layer contains grooves and ridges, which increase the surface area of the cortex. There are about 20 billion neurons and over 300 trillion synapses in the cortex alone. An increased amount of surface area, therefore, allows for more neurons to be present.

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Physiopedia

The cerebrum of the central nervous system is the uppermost part of the brain. It is composed of the basal ganglia, cerebral cortex, and olfactory cortex. The cerebrum is divided into a left and right hemisphere on either side of a central fissure. As the largest part of the brain, the cerebrum sits in front and on top of the brainstem and behind that sits the cerebellum. It receives sensory information, processes it, regulates motor and conscious activity, and is responsible for a broad range of cognitive processes.

TeachMe Anatomy

The cerebrum is the largest part of the brain, located superiorly and anteriorly in relation to the brainstem. It consists of two cerebral hemispheres (left and right), separated by the falx cerebri of the dura mater. Embryologically, the cerebrum is derived from the prosencephalon.