occipital lobe

Examples of occipital 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.
  • The two occipital lobes are the smallest of the four paired lobes in the human cerebral cortex.
  • Located in the rearmost portion of the skull, the occipital lobes are part of the forebrain.
  • At the front edge of the occipital there are several lateral occipital gyri separated by lateral occipital sulci.

• Cerebral Hemispheres and Lobes of the Brain

  • The brain is separated into four lobes: the frontal, temporal, occipital, and parietal lobes.
  • The occipital lobe contains most of the visual cortex and is the visual processing center of the brain.
  • Cells on the posterior side of the occipital lobe are arranged as a spatial map of the retinal field.
  • Other areas of the occipital lobe are specialized for different visual tasks, such as visuospatial processing, color discrimination, and motion perception.
  • Clockwise from left: The frontal lobe is in blue at the front, the parietal lobe in yellow at the top, the occipital lobe in red at the back, and the temporal lobe in green on the bottom.

• Brain: Cerebral Cortex and Brain Lobes

  • The cerebral cortex of the brain is divided into four lobes responsible for distinct functions: frontal, parietal, temporal, and occipital.
  • Each hemisphere of the mammalian cerebral cortex can be broken down into four functionally- and spatially-defined lobes: frontal, parietal, temporal, and occipital .
  • The parietal lobe is located at the top of the brain.
  • The occipital lobe is located at the back of the brain.
  • The human cerebral cortex includes the frontal, parietal, temporal, and occipital lobes, each of which is involved in a different higher function.

• Foramina

  • The skull bones that contain foramina include the frontal, ethmoid, sphenoid, maxilla, palatine, temporal, and occipital lobes.
  • Foramen magnum: Located in the occipital bone, it allows the passage of the spinal and vertebral arteries and the spinal cord to pass from the skull into the vertebral column.

• Cerebral Cortex

  • The cortex is divided into four different lobes (the parietal, occipital, temporal, and frontal lobes), each with a different specific function.
  • One notable sulcus is the central sulcus, or the wrinkle dividing the parietal lobe from the frontal lobe.
  • A diagram of the brain identifying the different lobes by color.
  • Counterclockwise from bottom: It contains the parietal lobe (green), the occipital lobe (red), the temporal lobe (yellow), and the frontal lobe (blue).

• 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.
  • 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.
  • Motor portions of language are attributed to Broca's area within the frontal lobe.
  • Speech comprehension is attributed to Wernicke's area, at the temporal-parietal lobe junction.

• 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.

• The Central Nervous System (CNS)

  • Each of these hemispheres is divided into four separate lobes:
  • the frontal lobe, which controls specialized motor control, learning, planning, and speech;
  • the temporal lobe, which controls hearing and some other speech functions.

• Neural Correlates of Memory Storage

  • Activity in different lobes of the cerebral cortex have been linked to the formation of memories.
  • The temporal and occipital lobes are associated with sensation and are thus involved in sensory memory.
  • Short-term memory is supported by brief patterns of neural communication that are dependent on regions of the prefrontal cortex, frontal lobe, and parietal lobe.
  • The processes of consolidating and storing long-term memories have been particularly associated with the prefrontal cortex, cerebrum, frontal lobe, and medial temporal lobe.
  • The temporal lobe is important for sensory memory, while the frontal lobe is associated with both short- and long-term memory.

• Cranial Bones

  • The neurocranium is comprised of eight bones: occipital, two temporal bones, two parietal bones, sphenoid, ethmoid, and the frontal bone.
  • The occipital bone forms the base of the skull at the rear of the cranium.
  • The temporal bones are situated at the base and sides of the skull, lateral to the temporal lobes of the brain.
  • The occipitomastoid suture separates the occipital bone and mastoid portion of temporal bone.
  • 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.