Your brain is an amazing structure that coordinates all voluntary movements, involuntary movements and plays a role in your vision, emotions and storage of memories. Your brain must constantly process information coming from within your body as well as your external environment. It must then decide how to best respond to all the incoming information. To fully understand how the brain works, it is important to be aware of the various sections or regions within the brain and what functions each region controls.
Cerebellum
Your cerebellum is located at the back bottom of the brain. This area coordinates your movements and helps you to maintain balance and posture. Both simple and complex movements are dependent on the proper functioning of this region.
Occipital Lobe
This area is located at the back of the brain and above the cerebellum. It houses the structures needed to process vision and helps you to distinguish shapes and colors.
Temporal Lobe
The temporal lobe is located next to the occipital lobe and directly above the cerebellum. This area helps you understand speech and is involved in your hearing and memory. The right side is involved in remembering visual cues such as pictures. The left side helps you to remember verbal information such as someone's name.
Parietal Lobe
This region is located at the top back of the brain. It is involved in processing sensations such as taste, touch, pain, and temperature. It also assists in helping you to move and orienting you with your surroundings.
Primary Motor Cortex
The primary motor cortex, which is in the middle section at the top of the brain, is involved in coordinating movements you do voluntarily. This includes walking, lifting your arm and jumping. It is also the area that allows you to make facial expressions.
Frontal Lobe
At the very front and top part of the brain is the section that helps you speak, interpret thoughts and emotions and then decide how to appropriately respond. It is also involved in making decisions, organizing tasks and problem solving. The front part of this region is where your personality is developed and helps with more complex cognitive tasks. The back section of this area helps to modify the movements you perform.
Brain Stem
This section is also known as the midbrain and hindbrain. It is where your thalamus, hypothalamus, hippocampus, pons and medulla oblongata are located. Your medulla oblongata controls involuntary movements such as your heart beat, rate of breathing and digestion. The pons regulates breathing and sleep. Your hippocampus converts short-term memory to long-term memory. The thalamus is involved in processing incoming information and then controlling your emotional response. Last, the hypothalamus is your body's thermostat. It also regulates your circadian rhythms and tells your when you are thirsty and hungry.
