Anatomy of frontal lobe
frontal lobe anatomy brain diagram

Anatomical Diagram: A mid-sagittal illustration of the human brain, highlighting regions vulnerable to thiamine deficiency and Wernicke-Korsakoff Syndrome. The diagram depicts the frontal lobe with its characteristic gyri and sulci occupying the anterior and superior portions of the cerebrum. Key labeled structures in the central and posterior regions include the thalamus and hypothalamus, located superior to the small, rounded mamillary body. The brain stem is shown extending inferiorly, connecting to the spinal cord. Posterior to the brain stem is the cerebellum, illustrating its distinctive arbor vitae branching pattern. The lateral ventricle is represented as a blue, C-shaped structure above the thalamus. This illustration serves an educational purpose in neurology and nutrition, demonstrating the spatial relationships and functional anatomy of subcortical and brainstem structures often involved in metabolic encephalopathies.

This medical anatomical diagram provides a lateral view of the human brain, utilizing color-coding to delineate primary functional regions and lobes. The frontal lobe is highlighted in light blue at the most anterior position. Progressing posteriorly, the diagram identifies the motor cortex (purple) and the sensory cortex (yellow), which are separated by the central sulcus. The parietal lobe (yellow) follows posteriorly to the sensory cortex, while the occipital lobe is marked in pink at the most posterior pole. The temporal lobe is shaded in green, situated inferior to the frontal and parietal lobes. Below the occipital and temporal regions, the cerebellum is depicted with a distinct striated texture, contrasting with the gyri and sulci patterns of the cerebral cortex. The illustration is designed to teach regional brain anatomy and the spatial relationships essential for understanding corticomuscular coherence (CMC), movement planning, and tactile processing. The labels and color differentiation emphasize the distinct boundaries of these functionally specialized neural structures.

This anatomical diagram provides a lateral view of the human brain, specifically illustrating the cortical regions associated with the mirror neuron system. The line drawing highlights three key functional areas using shaded gray overlays and text labels: the premotor area in the frontal lobe, the primary motor cortex (M1) along the precentral gyrus, and the inferior parietal lobule in the parietal lobe. The diagram clearly depicts the complex surface anatomy of the cerebral cortex, including its gyri and sulci, which define the boundaries of these functional regions. The cerebellum is also visible inferiorly to the occipital and temporal lobes. This illustration is designed to teach the neuroanatomical basis of action-observation processing, demonstrating how the brain bridges visual perception of others' actions with its own motor representation. It is an educational resource suitable for neuroscience and clinical neurology, focusing on sensory-motor integration and the physiological mechanisms of social cognition.

This anatomical diagram provides a lateral view of the human brain, specifically the right cerebral hemisphere, illustrating the concept of neuro-functional reorganization. The background is a detailed medical illustration of the cerebrum, showing prominent gyri and sulci rendered in brownish-red tones. Superimposed on this anatomy are two 3D oval markers. A silver-white oval is positioned over the frontal lobe (specifically the prefrontal cortex area), and a light-blue oval is positioned over the parietal lobe (specifically the inferior parietal region). Two parallel horizontal arrows with circular endpoints connect these regions, pointing from the frontal marker to the parietal marker. This visual represents a 'network translation' or a posterior shift in brain activation patterns often observed during aging. The diagram illustrates how executive functions may shift from frontal resources to parietal regions to maintain cognitive performance as part of a compensatory mechanism in the aging brain. This educational graphic is relevant to neuroanatomy, geriatric psychology, and functional neuroimaging studies.

| Gyrus | Location | Key Function |
|---|---|---|
| Superior frontal gyrus | Above the superior frontal sulcus | Higher cognition, working memory |
| Middle frontal gyrus | Between superior and inferior frontal sulci | Prefrontal executive function, frontal eye fields |
| Inferior frontal gyrus | Below the inferior frontal sulcus | Language (dominant hemisphere - Broca's area) |


| Brodmann Area | Name | Location | Function |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4 | Primary motor cortex (M1) | Precentral gyrus | Contralateral voluntary movement (corticospinal tract origin) |
| 6 | Premotor cortex / Supplementary motor area (SMA) | Anterior to precentral gyrus, including mesial frontal | Motor planning, complex motor programs, supplementary eye field |
| 8 | Frontal eye fields (FEF) | Posterior middle frontal gyrus | Voluntary saccadic eye movements (contralateral) |
| 9, 10, 11, 12 | Prefrontal cortex (DLPFC, OFC) | Anterior frontal lobe | Executive function, working memory, judgment, planning |
| 44 | Pars opercularis (Broca's area) | Inferior frontal gyrus | Motor speech (dominant hemisphere) |
| 45 | Pars triangularis (Broca's area) | Inferior frontal gyrus | Expressive language (dominant hemisphere) |
| 47 | Pars orbitalis | Inferior frontal gyrus | Language and orbitofrontal function |
| 24, 32, 33 | Anterior cingulate cortex | Cingulate gyrus (anterior) | Attention, motivation, emotional regulation, error monitoring |
| Territory | Artery | Frontal Lobe Region Supplied |
|---|---|---|
| Anterior cerebral artery (ACA) | Medial surface | Medial frontal lobe, paracentral lobule, anterior cingulate, orbital surface (recurrent artery of Heubner) |
| Middle cerebral artery (MCA) | Lateral surface | Precentral gyrus, superior/middle/inferior frontal gyri |
| Anterior communicating artery perforators | Basal forebrain | Subcallosal area, anterior cingulate base |
| Region Damaged | Clinical Sign |
|---|---|
| Primary motor cortex (area 4) | Contralateral spastic hemiparesis (upper motor neuron pattern) |
| Frontal eye fields (area 8) | Ipsilateral gaze deviation (acute stroke); contralateral gaze deviation (seizure) |
| Broca's area (left areas 44/45) | Non-fluent expressive aphasia |
| Supplementary motor area | Alien hand, akinesia, speech arrest |
| Dorsolateral PFC | Abulia, reduced initiative, working memory deficits, perseveration |
| Orbitofrontal cortex | Disinhibition, impulsivity, poor social judgment, confabulation |
| Anterior cingulate (bilateral) | Akinetic mutism |
| Paracentral lobule (ACA territory) | Contralateral leg weakness + urinary incontinence (bilateral) |
Anatomy of parietal lobe
parietal lobe anatomy gyri sulci diagram

This medical anatomical diagram features a 3D surface-rendered model of the human brain, focusing on the cortical anatomy of the parietal lobe. The brain is presented in two panels: (A) a superior (top-down) view and (B) a lateral (side) view. The rendering utilizes a semi-transparent brown texture that highlights the gyri and sulci of the cerebral cortex. Specific anatomic regions associated with language and cross-modal processing are color-coded for educational identification. The supramarginal gyrus (SMG) is highlighted in opaque white, while the angular gyrus (AG) is highlighted in semi-transparent gray. In the lateral view (B), labels and indicator lines clearly demarcate these two adjacent regions, showing the SMG situated anteriorly to the AG within the inferior parietal lobule. This visualization is designed for neuroanatomical education, specifically to demonstrate the spatial relationship of parietal lobe structures involved in phonological processing and semantic integration, often studied via functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) in clinical contexts like epilepsy or speech-language pathology.

This anatomical diagram provides a lateral view of the human brain, specifically the right cerebral hemisphere, illustrating the concept of neuro-functional reorganization. The background is a detailed medical illustration of the cerebrum, showing prominent gyri and sulci rendered in brownish-red tones. Superimposed on this anatomy are two 3D oval markers. A silver-white oval is positioned over the frontal lobe (specifically the prefrontal cortex area), and a light-blue oval is positioned over the parietal lobe (specifically the inferior parietal region). Two parallel horizontal arrows with circular endpoints connect these regions, pointing from the frontal marker to the parietal marker. This visual represents a 'network translation' or a posterior shift in brain activation patterns often observed during aging. The diagram illustrates how executive functions may shift from frontal resources to parietal regions to maintain cognitive performance as part of a compensatory mechanism in the aging brain. This educational graphic is relevant to neuroanatomy, geriatric psychology, and functional neuroimaging studies.

Anatomical diagram of the medial aspect of the human brain, illustrating the major gyri and sulci labeled for neuroanatomical education. The diagram uses color-coding to differentiate cerebral lobes: frontal (blue), parietal (pink), and occipital/temporal (yellow/green). Key landmarks include the cingulate sulcus (cs) and its ascending branch (csab), which separate the superior frontal gyrus (sfg) and paracentral lobule (pcl) from the cingulate gyrus (acg, pcg). The central sulcus (ces) is visible superiorly. In the posterior region, the parieto-occipital sulcus (pos) separates the precuneus (pcun) from the cuneus (cun). The calcarine sulcus (calcs) is shown within the occipital lobe. Inferior structures depicted include the parahippocampal gyrus (phg), uncus (unc), collateral sulcus (cols), and the lateral occipitotemporal gyrus (lotg). This educational resource is designed for advanced neuroanatomy study, providing a standardized map of cortical folding and lobular divisions.

This anatomical diagram illustrates the superolateral surface of the human cerebral hemisphere, highlighting the primary gyri and sulci using a alphanumeric labeling system. The frontal lobe is categorized by gyri F1 (superior), F2 (middle), and F3 (inferior), with F3 further subdivided into orbital (a), triangular (b), and opercular (c) parts. The parietal lobe displays the superior (P1) and inferior (P2) parietal lobules. The temporal lobe contains the superior (T1), middle (T2), and inferior (T3) temporal gyri, while the occipital lobe shows the superior (O1), middle (O2), and inferior (O3) occipital gyri. Major landmark sulci are numbered, including the central sulcus (9), lateral sulcus (10), and parietooccipital sulcus (12). Secondary features such as the subcentral gyrus (d), transverse temporal gyri of Heschl (e, f), and the diagonal sulcus of Eberstaller (2) are also indicated. This schematic provides a foundational reference for neuroanatomical classification and functional localization within the human cerebral cortex.

| Gyrus | Location | Brodmann Area | Key Functions |
|---|---|---|---|
| Supramarginal gyrus | Curves around the posterior end of the Sylvian fissure | 40 | Reading, phonological processing; dominant side: Wernicke's area component; non-dominant: spatial attention |
| Angular gyrus | Curves around the posterior end of the superior temporal sulcus | 39 | Cross-modal integration, reading, calculation, writing; dominant: component of Wernicke's area |

| Brodmann Area | Name | Location | Function |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3a | Primary somatosensory cortex | Deepest part of postcentral gyrus (fundus of central sulcus) | Proprioception from muscle spindles |
| 3b | Primary somatosensory cortex | Anterior postcentral gyrus | Cutaneous touch (texture, size) - the "true" primary S1 |
| 1 | Primary somatosensory cortex | Middle postcentral gyrus | Texture discrimination |
| 2 | Primary somatosensory cortex | Posterior postcentral gyrus | Size and shape of objects (stereognosis) |
| 43 | Secondary somatosensory cortex (S-II) | Parietal operculum / upper bank of lateral sulcus | Bilateral somatosensory processing, pain |
| 5 | Somatosensory association cortex | Superior parietal lobule | Integration of somatosensory signals; tactile object recognition |
| 7 | Posterior parietal cortex | Superior parietal lobule (posterior) | Visuospatial processing, integration of visual and somatic inputs |
| 39 | Angular gyrus | Inferior parietal lobule (posterior) | Reading, writing, cross-modal association, calculation |
| 40 | Supramarginal gyrus | Inferior parietal lobule (anterior) | Phonological processing, ideomotor apraxia |

| Fasciculus | Connects | Function |
|---|---|---|
| Arcuate fasciculus / Superior longitudinal fasciculus | Parietal lobe (IPL) ↔ Frontal lobe (Broca's area) | Language, phonological loop |
| Inferior parietal-occipital connections | SPL ↔ Occipital (V5/MT) | Dorsal visual stream ("where/how" pathway) |
| Corpus callosum (posterior body and splenium) | Bilateral parietal and occipital lobes | Interhemispheric sensory and visual transfer |
| Superior thalamic radiation | Thalamus (VPL/VPM) → Postcentral gyrus | Thalamocortical somatosensory relay |
| Parieto-frontal tracts | Posterior parietal → Premotor cortex | Visuomotor coordination, reaching |
| Artery | Territory |
|---|---|
| Middle cerebral artery (MCA) - posterior branches | Postcentral gyrus, superior + inferior parietal lobules (supramarginal gyrus, angular gyrus) on the lateral surface |
| Anterior cerebral artery (ACA) - pericallosal branches | Medial parietal lobe: paracentral lobule (posterior portion), precuneus |
| Posterior cerebral artery (PCA) | Most posterior parietal / parietooccipital region |
| Region Damaged | Clinical Syndrome |
|---|---|
| Postcentral gyrus (areas 3a, 3b, 1, 2) - contralateral | Cortical sensory loss: astereognosis, agraphesthesia, impaired two-point discrimination, sensory extinction; primary pain/temperature relatively preserved if postcentral gyrus spared |
| Large acute parietal lesion | Hemisensory loss (mimicking thalamic syndrome), transient contralateral hemiparesis, parietal ataxia |
| Left angular gyrus (area 39) | Gerstmann syndrome: finger agnosia + right-left confusion + acalculia + agraphia; may also cause alexia |
| Left supramarginal gyrus (area 40) | Ideomotor apraxia (bilateral), conduction aphasia |
| Right IPL (area 40) | Hemispatial neglect (left-sided): anosognosia, dressing apraxia, constructional apraxia |
| Right parietal (SPL/IPL) | Constructional apraxia, topographical disorientation |
| Bilateral parietal (areas 5, 7) | Balint syndrome: simultanagnosia + optic ataxia + ocular apraxia |
| Posterior parietal (dominant) | Ideational apraxia |
| Paracentral lobule (ACA, posterior part) | Contralateral leg sensory loss, sensory disturbance in lower limb |