parietal lobe

(noun)

A part of the brain positioned superior to the occipital lobe and posterior to the frontal lobe that integrates sensory information from different modalities and is particularly important for determining spatial sense and navigation.

Related Terms

  • temporal lobe
  • occipital lobe
  • frontal lobe
  • reticular activating system
  • postcentral gyrus
  • thalamus

(noun)

A part of the brain positioned superior to the occipital lobe and posterior to the frontal lobe that integrates sensory information from different modalities, particularly spatial sense and navigation.

Related Terms

  • temporal lobe
  • occipital lobe
  • frontal lobe
  • reticular activating system
  • postcentral gyrus
  • thalamus

Examples of parietal lobe in the following topics:

  • Cerebral Lobes

    • The cortex is divided into four main lobes: frontal, parietal, occipital, temporal.
    • The parietal lobe is a part of the brain positioned above (superior to) the occipital lobe and behind (posterior to) the frontal lobe.
    • Several portions of the parietal lobe are also important in language processing.
    • Portions of the parietal lobe are involved with visuospatial processing.
    • Distinguish between the frontal, temporal, parietal, and occipital lobes of the cerebral cortex
  • General Organization of the Somatosensory System

    • Tertiary neurons have cell bodies in the thalamus and project to the postcentral gyrus of the parietal lobe, forming a sensory homunculus in the case of touch.
    • The primary somatosensory area of the human cortex is located in the postcentral gyrus of the parietal lobe.
  • Overview of the Cerebrum

    • Each hemisphere of the mammalian cerebral cortex can be broken down into four functionally and spatially defined lobes: frontal, parietal, temporal, and occipital.
    • Two of the parietal lobe's main functions are processing somatosensation (touch sensations such as pressure, pain, heat, cold) and proprioception (the sense of how parts of the body are oriented in space).
    • The temporal lobe is located at the base of the brain by the ears.
    • The occipital lobe is located at the back of the brain.
    • Speech comprehension is attributed to Wernicke's area, at the temporal-parietal lobe junction.
  • Somatic Sensory Pathways

    • In the case of touch and certain types of pain, the third neuron has its cell body in the ventral posterior nucleus of the thalamus and ends in the postcentral gyrus of the parietal lobe.
    • The primary somatosensory area in the human cortex is located in the postcentral gyrus of the parietal lobe.
  • Parts of the Cerebellum

    • Based on surface appearance, three lobes can be distinguished in the cerebellum: the flocculonodular lobe, anterior lobe (above the primary fissure), and the posterior lobe (below the primary fissure).
    • Excluding the flocculonodular lobe, which has distinct connections and functions, the cerebellum can be parsed functionally into a medial sector called the spinocerebellum and a larger lateral sector called the cerebrocerebellum.
    • The smallest region, the flocculonodular lobe, is often called the vestibulocerebellum.
    • The medial zone of the anterior and posterior lobes constitutes the spinocerebellum, also known as the paleocerebellum.
    • It receives input exclusively from the cerebral cortex (especially the parietal lobe) via the pontine nuclei (forming corticopontocerebellar pathways), and sends output mainly to the ventrolateral thalamus (in turn connected to motor areas of the premotor cortex and primary motor area of the cerebral cortex) and to the red nucleus.
  • Cutaneous Sensation

    • Processing primarily occurs in the primary somatosensory area in the parietal lobe of the cerebral cortex.
  • The Brain

    • Anatomists conventionally divide each hemisphere into four lobes: the frontal (control of specialized motor control, learning, planning, and speech), parietal (control of somatic sensory functions), occipital (control of vision), and temporal lobes (control of hearing and some speech).
    • The division into lobes does not actually arise from the structure of the cortex itself.
    • The borders between lobes are placed beneath the sutures that link the skull bones together.
    • The only exception is the border between the frontal and parietal lobes, which is shifted backward from the corresponding suture to the central sulcus.
    • Demonstration of brain regions, including the four lobes and internal structures.
  • Association Areas

    • The parietal, temporal, and occipital lobes, all located in the posterior part of the cortex, organize sensory information into a coherent perceptual model of our environment centered on our body image.
    • The frontal lobe or prefrontal association complex is involved in planning actions and movement, as well as abstract thought.
    • The processes of language expression and reception occur in areas other than just the perisylvian structures such as the prefrontal lobe, basal ganglia, cerebellum, pons, caudate nucleus, and others.
    • For example, a patient with a lesion in the parietal-temporal-occipital association area has an agraphia, which means he is unable to write although he has no deficits in motor skills.
  • Cranial Bones

    • The temporal bones are situated at the base and sides of the skull, lateral to the temporal lobes of the brain.
    • The squamosal suture separates the parietal bone and squama portion of temporal bone.
    • The two large parietal bones are connected and make up part of the roof and sides of the human skull.
    • Finally, the squamosal suture separates the parietal and temporal bones.
    • The greater wings form the floor of the middle cranial fossa that houses the frontal lobes and pituitary gland, and also the posterior wall of the orbit.
  • Lobes, Fissures, and Lobules

    • The lungs are located on either side of the heart and are separated by fissures into lobes, three in the right and two lobes in the left.
    • The right lung is divided into three lobes.
    • The upper lobe is the largest lobe of the right lung.
    • The middle lobe is the smallest lobe of the right lung, located between the horizontal and oblique fissures.
    • The lower lobe is the bottom lobe of the right lung.
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