The brain, an organ weighing approximately 3 pounds, initiates movement, interprets sensory input, provides intelligence and controls behavior. The cerebrum, found in the forebrain, is the largest and most highly developed part of the brain, according to the National Institute of Neurologic Disorders and Stroke. Divided into two halves, called hemispheres, the cerebrum controls many activities. The two cerebral hemispheres appear as mirror images; however, each side functions in different capacities. Each cerebral hemisphere is divided into 4 distinct lobes that provide specific functions.
Language
As simple as speaking may seem, language requires the brain to accurately select words to use, activate the sounds to articulate and construct the structure of the syntax. Language also requires movement of the mouth, jaw, tongue and larynx.
The left frontal lobe, located in the left hemisphere right behind the forehead, contains the Broca's area, which functions in transforming thoughts to words. The Harvard Mahoney Neuroscience Institute Letter reveals that approximately 98 percent of right-handed individuals accomplish most language processing in the left cerebral hemisphere.
Movement
Both the left cerebral hemisphere and the right cerebral hemisphere initiate movement of the body. Although the two hemispheres are separated by a deep fissure, the two sides communicate and nearly all signals sent to and from the brain cross over, according to the National Institute of Neurologic Disorders and Stroke. This means that the left cerebral hemisphere controls movement on the right side of the body and vice-versa. The left and right frontal lobes contain an area, called the motor area, that controls voluntary movements.
Senses
The human body possesses the ability to sense the surroundings through touch, taste, smell and sounds. The parietal lobes, found just behind the frontal lobes of the left and right hemisphere, contain the primary sensory areas. The parietal lobes receive sensory information about taste, touch and temperature, process it and send signals for the brain to respond.
The temporal lobes in the left and right cerebral hemisphere, located under the frontal and parietal lobes, respond to auditory stimuli. The temporal lobes receive information from the ears, process it and respond through activity. Listening to music activates the temporal lobes in the cerebral hemisphere which then functions to form memory that can later be retrieved.
Visual Processing
Vision is made possible through the complex interactions between the eyes and the brain. The eyes contain the retina, a thin light-sensitive tissue lining the inside of the eye, which receives images. The retina converts the image into electrical signals that then travel along the optic nerve to the brain. The fourth lobe found in the two cerebral hemispheres, known as the occipital lobes, then process the images.
