Parietal Lobe

Synonyms

Cerebral hemisphere

Definition

The surface of each cerebral hemisphere is divided into four lobes (frontal, parietal, temporal, and occipital), named for the bones that lie above them. The lateral surface of the parietal lobe is behind the central sulcus and above the lateral fissure. It lies between the frontal and occipital lobes and above the temporal lobe. The parietal lobe is involved in somatosensation, vision, and attention. There are four main gyri (postcentral, intraparietal, supramarginal, and angular) and two sulci (central and postcentral).

Current Knowledge

The lateral surface of the parietal lobe is divided into three functional areas, the postcentral gyrus, which contains primary somatosensory cortex, the superior parietal lobule, and the inferior parietal lobule, which contains parts of the supramarginal and angular gyri. The primary somatosensory cortex extends down the face of the postcentral gyrus and provides a map of the contralateral body representation...