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  Part 7 | Chapter 40 Tutorial Home
What are the main anatomical structures of the brain and what are their functions?
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CEREBRUM
The cerebrum is the largest, most prominent part of the human brain. The longitudinal fissure partitions the cerebrum into right and left hemispheres, which are each separated into four lobes:

  • Frontal
  • Parietal
  • Temporal
  • Occipital

The cerebrum consists of the cerebral cortex (outer gray matter) and white matter.

The cerebral cortex is configured into convolutions (folds) that maximize surface area. It is functionally divided into three parts:

  • The motor cortex controls movement of voluntary muscles
  • The sensory cortex receives incoming information from visual, hearing, pressure, and touch receptors, and so on
  • The association cortex interprets incoming sensory information and is the site of intellect, memory, language, and emotion

The interior white matter consists of myelinated axons of neurons that link several regions of the brain. These axons are arranged into bundles (tracts) connecting the following:

  • Neurons within the same hemisphere bundles (tracts)
  • Right and left hemispheres
  • The cerebrum with other components of the brain and spinal cord
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