Exploring the Brain

If we want to describe an organ like the brain, we can view it from the side (lateral view), cut it in half and look at its right or left part (sagittal view), or even cut it into upper and lower halves (axial view). The lateral view, in my opinion, is the simplest way to talk about something not too complicated about our brain.

Before we continue, let me make a preamble. When we study something, we start with highly simplified diagrams, which we later realize are imprecise as we delve into the details. For instance, in middle school, we're told that an atom has a nucleus at the center and electrons orbiting around it like planets around the sun. However, in high school, we're presented with a more complex story, and we understand that saying electrons "orbit around the nucleus" is not entirely correct.

What do I want to convey? I'll discuss the brain in a simplified manner—so simplified that some details would need further exploration to be accurate even for a technician. Yet, in this blog, I don't want to be overly precise; I don't aim to prepare you for a boring university exam. Instead, I want to offer you small "psychology tidbits" that we can delve into if you're interested.

Back to our topic. How do we divide the brain? As we mentioned, if we view it from the side, we can divide it into four parts (called lobes):

• Frontal Lobe.
• Parietal Lobe.
• Temporal Lobe.
• Occipital Lobe.

Let's try to position these parts and explain their functions.

The frontal lobe is easy to position because the word "frontal" suggests the forehead. What does it do? Naturally, it has many functions; let's focus on two of them:

1. It's important for voluntary movement.
2. It's crucial for executive functions. What does that mean? All those functions useful for organizing and controlling behavior.

You might intuitively understand that executive functions develop throughout life. We're not immediately capable of solving problems and controlling our emotions; this area develops, and we learn new behaviors.

The parietal lobe is positioned behind the frontal lobe, separated by a fissure (central sulcus). It handles:

1. Tactile sensations (touch, heat, cold, pain, etc.).
2. Visuospatial skills. What does that mean? It's about understanding three-dimensional space, the objects within it, and interacting with these objects.

The temporal lobe is located below the parietal lobe, separated by a lateral fissure almost perpendicular to the central sulcus. It deals with:

• Sounds: how to recognize and interpret them.
• Long-term memory (where our memories reside).

The occipital lobe is situated behind the parietal and temporal lobes. It's responsible for visual perception, specifically:

1. Recognizing the shape and color of objects.
2. Analyzing moving objects.
3. Perceiving depth.

Isn't it intriguing that an area responsible for vision is located on the opposite side from the position of the eyes?

Sources: Again, I've provided an introductory description, and you can verify information on any popular science website related to neuroscience or even Wikipedia. The main texts I've studied are:

- Kandel, E. (2000) - Principles of neural science.
- Felten, D.L. (2015) - Netter's atlas of neuroscience.

As I attempted to explain the functions of individual lobes, what I've described is not limited to just those points. There's much more. I deliberately chose to offer limited information to keep the reading as simple as possible.

If you want me to describe a psychology topic in my own words, please write it in the comments.