The brain is one of the most important parts of the human body. Thanks to the brain we can feel and process all the information that reaches our body through the senses. Furthermore, we must not forget that our thoughts and ideas are born in the brain. The brain is integrated into the Central Nervous System and is made up of thousands of neurons that promote the constant mind-body relationship. We can divide the brain according to its four main lobes and according to their functions.
For this reason, in our article today, in Psychology-Online, we want to provide you with more information about the parts of the brain and their functions. In this way, you will be able to understand how our mind works. The brain is present in the most important processes of the human being, for example, in the daily act of breathing, eating, walking…
The most important parts of the human brain
We live in a technological era in which we are often surprised by the power of technology. However, the technique does not reach the perfection of the human body. This greatness of the organism is also evident in the potential of the brain, an organ that in some ways remains largely unknown.
The cerebral cortex It encompasses two hemispheres and four lobes. The function of right hemisphere It is to regulate the motor and motor functions of the left side of the body. He left hemisphere regulates the right side in the same way. Both hemispheres are joined by the corpus callosum. This corpus callosum separates both clearly differentiated parts of the brain structure. However, despite the difference, both areas are united by a common point of nerve fibers.
brain lobes
The brain can be divided into four lobes:
- He parietal lobe It is the part of the brain that regulates the data received from stimuli of the sense of touch, for example, the perception of pain, a pleasant caress or the sensation of cold.
- He frontal lobe It is the part of the brain that most differentiates the human being as a rational being from other beings. The frontal lobe regulates working memory and language. It is the part of the brain that works from conscious thought.
- He occipital lobe It is the part of the brain that processes visual data since the visual cortex is located there. For this reason, thanks to this information we can understand the environment that surrounds us.
- He temporal lobe It is the part in charge of perceiving and recognizing auditory stimuli and those linked to memory. This lobe is distributed on the sides of our head (at approximately the height of the ears)
The brain and its parts
We often use the term brain to refer to the brain, the main organ of the central nervous system; the brain contains other parts such as the medulla oblongata and cerebellum. Next, we are going to mention the most important parts of the brain:
- One of the most important parts of the brain is the cerebellumlocated in the brain, and its function is to regulate such important aspects of the body as posture, balance and coordination.
- He hypothalamus regulates body functions, such as sleep cycles, body temperature, hunger, and mood.
- Language is one of the most typical expressions of humanity of the person. Well, the parts of the brain that regulate speech are the Broca’s area (it is part of the frontal lobe and is the speech center) and the Wernicke area (promotes the understanding of oral and written language). In this other article you can find more information about it.
- He hippocampus It is a brain area that promotes the storage of memories and learning.
Below, we show you an image to give you an idea of how a real human brain and what are its parts.
How does the human brain work?
If we want to know the brain and its functions, it is important to remember that this is an organ of the nervous system. This system is responsible for receiving and processing information that comes from the external environment. Furthermore, thanks to the processing brain we can generate responses to information and external stimuli. If you want to know more, we recommend reading the following article about .
Daniel Goleman in his book Emotional Intelligence has valued this expression of human emotions and feelings. Well, the part of the brain that manages this emotional information is the amygdala located in the Human beings can not only experience emotions from an external event that acts as a stimulus to which we give a response. An internal event can also generate an emotional movement, for example, a thought. Well then, the amygdala It is an essential core of these processes.
Here you can see the anatomy of the limbic system:
Main functions of the brain
Now that we have discussed what the brain is responsible for in general terms, it is time to be a little more specific and define its functions according to the parts of the brain. As we have mentioned previously, in reality the central nervous system is made up of different organs, so we will try to define the functions of each of these organs.
1. Brain functions
As we have defined previously, the main function of the brain is the processing of stimuli. All the information captured by the different sensory organs passes through this organ to be processed. Thanks to this, we can better understand the world around us.
2. Functions of the cerebellum
Many consider it the most primitive part of the brain, in it we find the unconscious processing of many functions aimed at the survival of the individual: balance, muscle activation, regulation of emotions…
3. Functions of the medulla oblongata
The medulla oblongata is the bridge between the brain and the spinal cord, in it we find a multitude of neuronal connections and bundles of nerve fibers that transfer information in both directions.
4. Functions of the spinal cord
Finally, the farthest (and largest) part of the brain is the spinal cord. This organ is part of the central nervous system and its main function is connect the brain with the rest of the body and with the autonomic nervous system.
How to take care of the brain
The brain is a really important organ in the body. Therefore, taking care of it is an act of self-love. How can you take care of your brain? From a neurological point of view, it is advisable play logic games or practice any activity that allows activate the mindFor example, reading.
Stress affects your brain, therefore, try to take care of this aspect that damages your memory, for example. The brain needs new stimuli to activate, for this reason, although routine is a pleasant state of comfort zone, try to find the balance of integrating the surprise factor. For example, take new routes to get from work to home. Furthermore, the sense of humor affects in a very positive way to your brain, therefore, enjoy more and laugh more.
Your daily habits also take care of your brain, for example, getting a night’s rest.
This article is merely informative, at Psychology-Online we do not have the power to make a diagnosis or recommend a treatment. We invite you to go to a psychologist to treat your particular case.
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References
- Goleman, Daniel. Emotional intelligence. Kairós Editorial, 2012.