Lobes of the Brain: Complete Guide with Functions & Diagram

Overview of Lobes of the Brain

The brain, along with the spinal cord, forms the central nervous system (CNS), which controls most body activities. It is the most intricate organ, made up of many parts that work together to manage everything from basic survival functions to complex thinking. The brain has three main sections: the cerebrum, cerebellum, and brainstem. The cerebrum is the largest part and is split into two halves—the left and right hemispheres. Though it looks like one unit, the cerebrum is divided into different regions based on how they develop, how they are built, and what they do.

Each hemisphere has an outer layer called the cerebral cortex and deeper parts known as subcortical structures. The cortex, made of gray matter, has a folded surface. These folds are called gyri, and the grooves between them are sulci. This folding increases surface area and divides the cortex into lobes, each responsible for different tasks.

The six lobes of the brain are the frontal lobe, Parietal lobe, Temporal lobe, Occipital lobe, Insular lobe & Limbic lobe. In this article, we will discuss the lobes of the brain in detail with their location and functions.

4 Lobes of the Brain Diagram

Lobes of the Cerebrum

Frontal Lobe
Parietal Lobe
Temporal Lobe

Occipital Lobe
Insular Lobe
Limbic Lobe

Lobes of the Brain

The cerebral cortex, the brain’s outer layer responsible for complex thinking and sensory processing, is organized into six distinct lobes.

These are the frontal lobe (controls movement, planning, and decision-making), temporal lobe (handles hearing and memory), parietal lobe (processes touch and spatial awareness), occipital lobe (dedicated to vision), insular lobe (linked to emotions and internal body awareness), and limbic lobe (regulates emotion, motivation, and memory).

Each lobe plays a unique role, working together to support nearly every function of the human brain.

1. Frontal Lobe

The frontal lobe is the brain’s largest section, covering about one-third of its surface. It sits at the front of the skull, resting on the orbital plate of the frontal bone within the anterior cranial fossa.

As the front part of the cerebral hemisphere, the frontal lobe plays a key role in many higher brain functions. It is bordered at the back by the central sulcus, which separates it from the parietal lobe.

It is divided from the temporal lobe below by the lateral sulcus, also called the Sylvian fissure. The very front tip of the frontal lobe is called the frontal pole, which is involved in complex behaviors such as decision-making and planning.

Components & Functions of Frontal Lobes

Prefrontal Cortex –The prefrontal cortex is located at the very front of the frontal lobe. It includes the superior, middle, and inferior frontal gyri. This brain region is key to managing thoughts and emotions. It helps control aggressive behavior, supports clear thinking, and guides decision-making by linking emotion with reason.
Primary Motor Cortex – The primary motor cortex, located in the precentral gyrus of the frontal lobe, plays a central role in controlling voluntary movement. It is known as Brodmann area 4 and gathers input from various brain areas to prepare and direct muscle actions. Once a movement is planned, the cortex sends signals down the corticospinal tract—a major nerve pathway linking the brain to the spinal cord. This route ensures that movement instructions reach the right muscles, allowing the body to act with control and accuracy.

Broca’s Area – The inferior frontal gyrus (IFG) is a key region in the brain’s frontal lobe. It is made up of three distinct sections:
- Pars opercularis – the uppermost (dorsal) part.
- Pars triangularis – the middle, triangle-shaped part.
- Pars orbitalis – the lowest (ventral) part.
In the brain’s dominant hemisphere—typically the left—two of these regions, the pars opercularis and pars triangularis form Broca’s area (Brodmann areas 44 and 45). This area plays a vital role in producing speech. It helps in forming words, constructing sentences, managing grammar, and controlling the motor aspects of speaking. It also supports attention during speech, making sure communication flows clearly and smoothly.

2. Parietal Lobe

The parietal lobe is located near the upper part of the brain, just beneath the parietal bone of the skull. It sits directly behind the frontal lobe and above the areas responsible for hearing and vision.

At its front boundary, a deep groove called the central sulcus separates it from the frontal lobe. At the back, its limit can be imagined as a line running from the parieto-occipital sulcus near the top of the brain down to the preoccipital notch near the base.

Everything in front of this line is part of the parietal lobe. On the lower side, the lateral sulcus (also known as the Sylvian fissure) divides it from the temporal lobe.

The two parietal lobes—one on each side—are split by the medial longitudinal fissure, the deep groove that runs along the midline of the brain.

Component & Functions of Parietal Lobe

The front part of the parietal lobe forms a raised area called the postcentral gyrus, located just behind the central sulcus. This ridge contains the primary somatosensory cortex (Brodmann areas 1, 2, and 3), which is the brain’s main hub for processing touch and body sensations.

It receives signals from the skin, muscles, and joints—relaying details about temperature, pain (via the spinothalamic tract), vibration, joint position, and fine touch (via the dorsal column pathway).

Just behind this ridge lies the intraparietal sulcus, a deep groove that divides the parietal lobe into two key areas:

Superior parietal lobule: It combines touch and body position with motor plans. It helps your brain to adjust movements based on what you feel—like reaching for an object without looking.
Inferior parietal lobule: It connects sensory input to language, hearing, and spatial awareness. This area helps interpret sounds, understand speech, and make sense of where things are in space.

Together, these regions turn raw sensory input into meaningful experiences, allowing you to move with purpose, understand your surroundings, and respond to the world around you.

3. Temporal Lobe

The temporal lobe is a part of the brain located mainly in the middle section of the skull, beneath the frontal and parietal lobes. It is separated from these lobes by a deep groove known as the lateral sulcus or Sylvian fissure.

The lower section of the temporal lobe stretches to the bottom of the brain, and its back edge lines up with a boundary formed between the parieto-occipital sulcus and the preoccipital notch.

This lobe plays a key role in hearing, understanding language, and memory. It allows the brain to identify sounds, give meaning to spoken words, and store past experiences.

Component & Functions of Temporal Lobe

On the outer surface of the temporal lobe, there are three main ridges called gyri: the superior, middle, and inferior temporal gyri.

These are divided by grooves known as sulci—specifically, the superior temporal sulcus lies between the superior and middle gyri. In contrast, the inferior temporal sulcus separates the middle and inferior gyri.

On the inner underside of the temporal lobe lies the hippocampus, a vital structure involved in forming and retrieving memories.

The primary auditory cortex (Brodmann area 41), also known as the transverse gyri of Heschl, is found deep within the upper part of the superior temporal gyrus. It is the first region to process sound signals from the ears.
Right next to it is the secondary auditory cortex (Brodmann area 42), which helps further interpret these sounds.

Behind these areas, at the parietotemporal junction, lies Wernicke’s area (in the dominant hemisphere), which is important for language understanding.

While the superior temporal gyrus is mainly involved in sound and speech, the middle and inferior temporal gyri are more related to visual functions.
The middle gyrus helps detect motion in the visual field, and the inferior gyrus includes the fusiform face area (FFA), a part of the brain that helps us recognize faces.

4. Occipital Lobe

The occipital lobe is the back part of the brain, positioned just under the occipital bone at the rear of the skull.

It lies behind both the parietal and temporal lobes and rests on the tentorium cerebelli—a protective sheet of tissue that separates it from the cerebellum below.

Along its inner edge, it touches the falx cerebri, a membrane that divides the two halves of the brain.

This lobe plays a key role in interpreting visual signals from the eyes. It helps the brain make sense of shapes, colors, and motion. A groove called the parieto-occipital sulcus marks its upper boundary with the parietal lobe.

In front, it is separated from the temporal lobe by an invisible line known as the lateral parietotemporal line. This line extends from the top of the parieto-occipital sulcus down to a small notch near the brain’s lower edge called the preoccipital notch.

Component & Functions of Occipital Lobe

The occipital lobe, located at the back of the brain, is the primary center for processing visual information. It helps us see, and understand what we see, recognize faces, judge distances, perceive colors, and make sense of spatial relationships. It even supports memory by connecting visual experiences with stored information.

Lateral Surface

The outer (superolateral) surface of the occipital lobe has a highly variable structure, with grooves (sulci) and ridges (gyri) that differ from person to person. Generally, three main gyri may be seen:

Superior occipital gyrus: A visible ridge on the upper side.
Middle and inferior occipital gyri: Often less distinct and sometimes missing altogether.

Two key grooves help define these regions:

Intraoccipital sulcus: A continuation of the intraparietal sulcus that lies between the superior and middle gyri.
Lateral occipital sulcus (or inferior occipital sulcus): Separates the inferior gyrus from the one above it, whether that’s the middle or superior gyrus, depending on individual anatomy.

Medial Surface

The inner (medial) surface of the occipital lobe has more consistent landmarks. A deep groove called the calcarine sulcus begins just behind the parietooccipital sulcus and runs forward toward the occipital pole. It divides this surface into:

Cuneus (above the sulcus)
Lingual gyrus (below the sulcus)

Primary Visual Cortex (V1)- The primary visual cortex (Brodmann area 17) lies along the walls of the calcarine sulcus and is responsible for receiving and processing basic visual inputs like light, shape, and motion.

Visual Association Areas (V2–V5)- Surrounding this area are the visual association areas (Brodmann areas 18 and 19), which interpret visual information—helping us recognize patterns, faces, objects, and movements. These regions are collectively referred to as the extrastriate cortex.

5. Insular Lobe

The insular lobe lies deep inside the lateral sulcus (also called the Sylvian fissure), often considered the brain’s fifth lobe.

It remains hidden from view on the brain’s surface and can only be seen when the temporal lobe is gently pulled aside. The parts of the frontal, parietal, and temporal lobes that cover the insula are called the opercula.

Component & Functions of Insular Lobe

When the opercula is opened, the first feature visible is the central sulcus of the insula, which splits it into two sections: an anterior (front) and a posterior (back) region.

The anterior region contains three short gyri — named anterior, middle, and posterior short gyri — along with a small accessory gyrus.
The posterior region is made up of two long gyri, known as the anterior and posterior long gyri.

Functionally, the insula plays a key role in interpreting and combining different kinds of sensory information. It helps process taste, internal body sensations (like signals from organs), pain, and balance. This makes it an important hub for integrating diverse bodily experiences.

6. Limbic Lobe

The limbic lobe is a part of the brain located on the inner (medial) side of each cerebral hemisphere, near the corpus callosum. It forms a ring-like structure around the brain’s ventricles and lies beneath the frontal, parietal, and temporal lobes.

Component & Functions of Limbic Lobe

This region is deeply involved in controlling emotions, autonomic functions (like heart rate and digestion), hormonal activity, and memory and learning.

The limbic lobe includes several important structures:

Paraterminal gyrus: A small region located just below the front (rostrum) of the corpus callosum. It may play a role in mood regulation, especially in conditions like depression.
Cingulate gyrus: A curved, ‘C-shaped area that wraps around the corpus callosum. It is divided into regions, including the prelimbic, infralimbic, anterior cingulate, and retrosplenial cortices. This gyrus is known to be involved in pain perception, especially neuropathic pain and nociception (the sensory detection of harmful stimuli).
Parahippocampal gyrus: It is found on the underside of the temporal lobe. This area includes key brain regions like the entorhinal cortex (Brodmann areas 27 and 28), along with areas 35, 36, 48, and 49. Its front part extends inward to form the uncus, a hook-shaped structure.

The parahippocampal gyrus serves as a major communication route between the hippocampus and other parts of the brain. It allows sensory and cognitive information to reach the hippocampus, where it can be processed into memory.

Lobes of the Brain: Complete Guide with Names, Functions & Diagram