Log in Sign up
Back to Discover
🧬

Cerebrum

life science Maturity 11-13

The cerebrum is the biggest part of your brain.

Cerebrum animation small.gif
Cerebrum animation small.gif
It helps you move your body. It helps you see and hear. It also helps you think and feel. This part of your brain is very special.
Lateral surface of cerebral cortex - gyri.png
Lateral surface of cerebral cortex - gyri.png
What do you think about today?

52 words

The cerebrum is the biggest part of your brain.

Cerebrum animation small.gif
Cerebrum animation small.gif
It is split into two sides. One side is the left side. The other is the right side. The right side helps your left body move. The left side helps your right body move.
Lateral surface of cerebral cortex - gyri.png
Lateral surface of cerebral cortex - gyri.png
This part of the brain helps you see. It helps you hear and smell. It also helps you think and feel. The cerebrum is a very busy part of you.

83 words

The cerebrum is the largest part of your brain.

Cerebrum animation small.gif
Cerebrum animation small.gif
It is split into two halves. These are called cerebral hemispheres. A deep crack separates them. The right side mostly controls the left side of your body. The left side mostly controls the right side. This happens because of a twist that occurs before you are born.

The outer layer is called the cerebral cortex. This layer is made of grey matter. In humans, the surface has many folds. These folds are called gyri, which are ridges. The dips between them are called sulci. These folds help make more room on the surface.

Lateral surface of cerebral cortex - gyri.png
Lateral surface of cerebral cortex - gyri.png

The cerebrum does many big jobs. It helps you see, hear, and smell. It also manages your memory and your thoughts. Different parts of the cortex handle different tasks. For example, the occipital lobe helps you see. The temporal lobe helps you hear. The frontal lobe helps you move your muscles on purpose. The cerebrum is truly the center of how you act and feel.

177 words

The cerebrum is the largest part of the brain.

Cerebrum animation small.gif
Cerebrum animation small.gif
It is the top region of the central nervous system. This part of the brain handles many important jobs. It controls your emotions and your personality. It also manages your thoughts and your judgment. The cerebrum is the center for sensory perception. This means it helps you understand the world. It also controls all voluntary actions in the human body. These are movements you choose to make.

How does the cerebrum work? It is divided into two C-shaped halves. These are called the cerebral hemispheres. A deep crack called the longitudinal fissure separates them. The right hemisphere mostly controls the left side of the body. The left hemisphere mostly controls the right side. This happens because of an axial twist in the early embryo. The outer layer is the cerebral cortex. It is made of grey matter. In humans, this layer folds into ridges called gyri. The dips between them are called sulci. These folds increase the surface area of the brain.

Scientists have studied how this part grows. The cerebrum develops before birth from the forebrain. The forebrain is also called the prosencephalon. In mammals, the top part becomes the cerebral cortex. The bottom part becomes the basal ganglia. This structure is found in all vertebrates. Fish and birds have a dorsal telencephalon too. However, birds and fish do not have a layered cortex. Only a layered structure is called a cortex. This makes the mammalian brain very special.

There are many specific parts to learn. The cerebral cortex has four main lobes. These are the frontal, parietal, occipital, and temporal lobes. They are named after the bones of the skull. There is also a small part called the insular lobe. It sits deep within a fold called the lateral sulcus. The cerebrum also contains subcortical structures. These include the hippocampus and the olfactory bulb. The olfactory bulb helps you with the sense of smell. The hippocampus is important for making memories.

Your cerebrum connects to things you do every day. It helps you see through the occipital lobe. It helps you hear through the temporal lobe. The parietal lobe helps you feel touch and temperature. Even your speech comes from the cerebral cortex. Two areas called Broca's area and Wernicke's area help with language. One helps you speak and the other helps you understand. The cerebrum is the reason you can learn and remember. It turns many different senses into one single picture.

Lateral surface of cerebral cortex - gyri.png
Lateral surface of cerebral cortex - gyri.png

424 words

The cerebrum, also known as the telencephalon or endbrain, is the largest part of the brain.

Cerebrum animation small.gif
Cerebrum animation small.gif
In humans, it serves as the uppermost region of the central nervous system. This massive structure is responsible for nearly all complex functions, including emotions, personality, and judgment. It also acts as the center for sensory perception and voluntary motor activities. By processing information from the senses, the cerebrum allows the brain to understand the world as a single, cohesive picture. It is the primary engine for the human experience.

The structure of the cerebrum is highly organized. It consists of two C-shaped cerebral hemispheres separated by a deep groove called the longitudinal fissure. These hemispheres are roughly symmetric, but they exhibit lateralization, meaning different sides may specialize in different tasks. The cerebrum is also contralaterally organized. This means the right hemisphere processes signals from the left side of the body, while the left hemisphere handles the right side. Scientists believe this organization occurs because of an axial twist during early embryonic development.

The cerebrum is composed of two distinct types of tissue. The outer layer is called the cerebral cortex, which is made of grey matter. In mammals, this cortex is layered, a feature known as cytoarchitecture. To increase surface area, the cortex folds into ridges called gyri and deep furrows called sulci.

Lateral surface of cerebral cortex - gyri.png
Lateral surface of cerebral cortex - gyri.png
Beneath this outer layer lies the white matter. The cerebrum also contains several subcortical structures. These include the hippocampus, the basal ganglia, and the olfactory bulb. Each of these parts plays a specific role in how the brain functions.

Developmentally, the cerebrum begins as part of the forebrain, or prosencephalon. In the vertebrate embryo, the neural tube divides into sections, including the prosencephalon. This forebrain further develops into the telencephalon and the diencephalon. In mammals, the dorsal telencephalon becomes the pallium, which forms the cerebral cortex. The ventral telencephalon becomes the subpallium, which forms the basal ganglia. This complex growth process ensures that the brain has the specialized regions required for advanced survival.

The cerebral cortex is divided into several functional lobes based on the skull bones above them. The frontal lobe contains the primary motor cortex, which sends signals through upper motor neurons to control voluntary movement. The parietal lobe contains the somatosensory area, which maps feelings like touch, pain, and temperature. The occipital lobe houses the main visual area, or V1, which detects edges and colors. The temporal lobe manages hearing and contains areas for speech comprehension. Additionally, a small insular lobe is tucked deep within the lateral sulcus.

Memory and language are some of the most advanced tasks the cerebrum performs. Language relies on specific regions like Broca's area for speech production and Wernicke's area for comprehension. These areas are connected by a white matter tract called the arcuate fasciculus. Memory involves different timescales and mechanisms. Short-term or working memory often involves the prefrontal cortex and the hippocampus. Long-term memory is linked to structural changes in the brain, such as increases in synaptic vesicles. The hippocampus is specifically vital for forming explicit, or factual, memories.

The cerebrum also manages the sense of smell through the olfactory bulb. In humans, this bulb is relatively small and sits under the frontal lobe. Unlike other senses, olfactory neurons send signals directly to the olfactory cortex without passing through the thalamus first. This is known as ipsilateral processing, where input is processed on the same side of the brain. Finally, the cerebrum connects to broader biological systems. While humans have highly developed cortices, other vertebrates like fish and birds have a dorsal telencephalon that lacks these complex layers.

607 words
🖼️ Images & Media (2)
File:Cerebrum animation small.gif
Cerebrum animation small.gif
File:Lateral surface of cerebral cortex - gyri.png
Lateral surface of cerebral cortex - gyri.png
Up Next
🧬
Cerebral cortex
Life Science
More to explore

🔬 Go deeper

More advanced topics to explore

🪜 Step back

Simpler topics to build understanding

What is Nepedia?

A free, ad-free encyclopedia for children. Every article is written at five reading levels, so the same page works for a five-year-old and a fifteen-year-old — use the level switcher above to see this one change. No account needed to read.