Lab 1 - Overview of the Nervous System
Telencephalon - A Closer Look
The frontal lobe is the part of the cerebral cortex which lies rostral to the central sulcus. An important functional area of the frontal lobe is the precentral gyrus, which is located rostral to the central sulcus. The precentral gyrus is called the somato-motor cortex because it controls volitional movements of the contralateral side of the body. Thus, all contralateral parts of the body, head and face are represented topographically in this cortex.
Just rostral to the precentral gyrus are three longitudinal strips oriented in the horizontal plane: the superior frontal gyrus on top, the middle frontal gyrus and the inferior frontal gyrus.
The inferior frontal gyrus has three components
1. Opercular Part,
2. Triangular Part, and
3. Orbital Part
In the dominant brain hemisphere (i.e. the left side in a right-handed person), the pars opercularis and pars triangularis have a role in the production of speech and in the use of language, and are collectively known as Broca's area.
The frontal lobe subserves diverse functions, including voluntary control of eye movements, emotions, and intellectual functions. Damage to this part of the brain can lead to profound changes in personality.