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The Human Brain Explained: Parts, Functions, and How They Shape Your Mind

Your brain is working every second of your life, long before you think, decide, or react. Understanding how it’s organised reveals why the mind behaves the way it does, and how awareness, stress, and balance shape daily experience.


A diagram showing parts of the human brain.
A diagram showing parts of the human brain.

Written by Coralie Bengoechea | 23 January 2026


The human brain is one of the most complex and remarkable systems in existence. It governs everything we experience, from thought, memory, and emotion to movement, creativity, awareness, and identity itself.


Understanding the parts of the brain and their functions helps us make sense of how we learn, why we react the way we do, how stress affects us, and why practices like rest, movement, mindfulness, and emotional regulation have such a profound impact on wellbeing.


In this article, we will explore the main regions of the human brain, what each part does, and how they work together as an integrated whole.



The Cerebrum: Conscious Thought and Higher Brain Functions


A diagram of the cerebrum showing the where the 4 lobes are situated.
A diagram of the cerebrum showing the where the 4 lobes are situated.

The cerebrum is the largest part of the human brain, making up most of the brain's mass, and it is responsible for what we typically associate with conscious experience. It governs:

  • Thinking and reasoning

  • Learning and memory

  • Voluntary movement

  • Language and communication

  • Awareness and perception


The cerebrum is divided into two hemispheres, left and right, connected by the corpus callosum. Each hemisphere contains the same four lobes — frontal, parietal, temporal, and occipital — arranged in a mirrored structure. While the anatomy is shared across both sides, the two hemispheres often specialise in different aspects of processing and function.

Key subdivisions of the 4 lobes of the cerebrum and their functions:

Lobe

Key Subdivisions

Main Roles

Frontal

Prefrontal, Motor, Premotor, Broca’s

Decision-making, movement, speech

Parietal

Somatosensory, Association

Touch, spatial awareness

Temporal

Auditory, Wernicke’s, Memory structures

Hearing, language, memory

Occipital

Visual cortex, Association areas

Vision and visual meaning


  1. Frontal Lobe: Decision-Making, Personality, and Control


The frontal lobe, located behind the forehead, plays a central role in:

  • Decision-making and problem-solving

  • Planning and goal-setting

  • Emotional regulation

  • Impulse control

  • Personality and sense of self

  • Voluntary muscle movement

The frontal lobe is the most complex lobe. This region allows us to pause, reflect, and choose how we respond rather than acting purely on instinct. Under chronic stress, frontal lobe activity can decrease, making clear thinking and emotional regulation more difficult.


The frontal lobe has several important subdivisions:

🧠 Prefrontal Cortex

  • Planning and decision-making

  • Emotional regulation

  • Impulse control

  • Social behaviour

  • Self-awareness and reflection

This is the “executive” part of the brain.

🧠 Motor Cortex (Primary Motor Cortex)

  • Controls voluntary muscle movement

  • Each side controls the opposite side of the body

🧠 Premotor Cortex

  • Planning and coordination of movements

  • Preparation for movement

🧠 Supplementary Motor Area

  • Sequencing complex movements

  • Coordinating movement between both sides of the body

🧠 Broca’s Area (language-related)

  • Speech production

  • Language expression

  • Usually located in the left frontal lobe



  1. Parietal Lobe: Sensory Processing and Spatial Awareness


The parietal lobe integrates sensory information from the body and environment. It is responsible for:

  • Touch, pressure, and temperature

  • Pain perception

  • Body awareness and posture

  • Spatial orientation

  • Hand–eye coordination

This part of the brain helps you understand where your body is in space and how to interact smoothly with the world around you.


Subdivisions include:

🧠 Primary Somatosensory Cortex

  • Processes touch, pressure, pain, and temperature

  • Receives sensory input from the body

🧠 Somatosensory Association Cortex

  • Interprets sensory information

  • Helps recognise objects through touch

🧠 Posterior Parietal Cortex

  • Spatial awareness

  • Hand–eye coordination

  • Attention and perception



  1. Temporal Lobe: Memory, Emotion, and Language


The temporal lobe is deeply involved in:

  • Memory formation and recall

  • Understanding spoken language

  • Emotional processing

  • Auditory perception

Structures within the temporal lobe help explain why sounds, music, and emotionally charged experiences are so strongly tied to memory.


Subdivisions include:


🧠 Primary Auditory Cortex

  • Processes sound and auditory information

🧠 Auditory Association Cortex

  • Interprets sounds

  • Helps recognise speech and music

🧠 Wernicke’s Area (language comprehension)

  • Understanding spoken and written language

  • Usually located in the left temporal lobe

🧠 Medial Temporal Structures

(Including hippocampus and nearby regions)

  • Memory formation

  • Emotional memory

  • Learning and navigation



  1. Occipital Lobe: Vision and Visual Processing


The occipital lobe is primarily responsible for vision. It processes:

  • Colour and contrast

  • Shape and form

  • Movement and depth

  • Visual recognition

Rather than simply receiving images from the eyes, this region interprets visual information and gives it meaning, allowing us not just to see, but to understand what we’re seeing.


Subdivisions include:


🧠 Primary Visual Cortex (V1)

  • Receives raw visual input from the eyes

🧠 Visual Association Areas

  • Interpret colour, shape, motion, and depth

  • Visual recognition and meaning



The Limbic System: Emotion, Memory, and Survival


The Limbic System and other parts of the Brain.
The Limbic System and other parts of the Brain.

The limbic system is a network of interconnected structures distributed across the brain, particularly within deeper and medial regions of the cerebrum. It plays a central role in emotion, motivation, memory, and survival, linking conscious thought with instinctive response. The three core components are the amygdala, the hippocampus, and the hypothalamus.


  1. Amygdala: Emotional Alarm System


The amygdala detects potential threats and triggers emotional responses such as fear, anxiety, and alertness. It helps the body react quickly to danger.

While essential for survival, an overactive amygdala can keep the nervous system stuck in chronic stress or hypervigilance.


  1. Hippocampus: Learning and Memory


The hippocampus supports:

  • Formation of new memories

  • Learning and recall

  • Navigation and spatial memory

  • Emotional context

Stress and lack of sleep can impair hippocampal function, which is why prolonged stress often affects memory and concentration.


  1. Hypothalamus: Hormones and Internal Balance


The hypothalamus is a small but powerful structure that maintains balance within the body by regulating:

  • Hunger and thirst

  • Body temperature

  • Hormone release

  • Sleep–wake cycles

  • Sexual behaviour

It acts as a bridge between the nervous system and the endocrine (hormonal) system.



The Brainstem: Vital Life Functions


The 3 components of the brain stem are the midbrain, the pons, and the medulla oblongata.
The 3 components of the brain stem are the midbrain, the pons, and the medulla oblongata.

The brainstem connects the brain to the spinal cord and controls automatic processes essential for survival, including:

  • Breathing

  • Heart rate

  • Blood pressure

  • Basic reflexes like swallowing

  • Sleep cycles

  • Communication between brain and spinal cord.

These functions operate largely outside conscious awareness.



The Cerebellum: Balance, Coordination, & Motor Learning


The cerebellum and its position in the brain.
The cerebellum and its position in the brain.

The cerebellum, located at the back of the brain, fine-tunes movement and timing. It supports:

  • Balance and posture

  • Precision and coordination

  • Motor skill learning

  • Rhythm and flow

Activities like dancing, playing instruments, and athletic movement rely heavily on cerebellar processing.



Neuroplasticity: How the Brain Changes Over Time


Neuroplasticity is the ability of the brain to form and reorganise synaptic connections, allowing it to adapt and learn new skills.
Neuroplasticity is the ability of the brain to form and reorganise synaptic connections, allowing it to adapt and learn new skills.

One of the most important discoveries in neuroscience is neuroplasticity: the brain’s ability to change and reorganise itself throughout life.

This means:

  • New skills can be learned at any age

  • Habits and patterns can be rewired

  • Recovery from injury or trauma is possible

  • Practices like meditation can physically alter brain structure

The brain is not fixed; it is adaptive and responsive to experience.



Understanding the Brain as a Whole


No part of the brain works alone.
No part of the brain works alone.

Although each region has specialised functions, no part of the brain works alone. Thought, emotion, sensation, and action arise from constant communication between multiple brain areas.


A calm nervous system supports clearer thinking. Emotional regulation improves decision-making. Rest, awareness, and balance allow the brain to integrate information more effectively.


The human brain is not just a biological organ, but is the interface between inner experience and outer reality. By understanding how its parts function, we gain insight into why care, rest, emotional awareness, creativity, and presence matter so deeply.


Supporting the brain is not about optimisation alone. It is about creating the conditions in which clarity, connection, and balance naturally emerge.



FAQ


  • What are the main parts of the human brain?

The main parts are the cerebrum, cerebellum, brainstem, and limbic system.


  • Which part of the brain controls emotions?

Emotions are primarily regulated by the limbic system, especially the amygdala and hippocampus.


  • Can the brain change over time?

Yes. Through neuroplasticity, the brain can adapt and form new connections throughout life.



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