Читать книгу The Handy Psychology Answer Book - Lisa J. Cohen - Страница 278

The cortex is divided into four lobes: the frontal, temporal, parietal, and occipital lobes. The frontal lobe comprises the front half of the cortex. It extends from the central sulcus forward. The thumb-like segments of the cortex are the temporal lobes. The parietal lobes cover much of the back surface of the cortex, extending from the central sulcus back to the border with the occipital lobe (the parietooccipital sulcus). Finally, the occipital lobes are at the lower back end of the cortex.

What is the difference between the cortex and the subcortical regions?

The distinction between the cortical and subcortical regions of the brain is an important one. The cortex is a relatively recent evolutionary achievement and the cortical structures are much more developed in humans than they are in more primitive animals. Most of the more complex psychological processes, the ones we think of as uniquely human, such as language, abstract thought, and reading, are controlled by the cortex. The subcortical regions process more fundamental psychological and even physiological functions. The lowest parts of the brain, closest to the spinal cord, are the oldest parts and regulate physiological processes we share with more primitive animals, such as breathing, heartbeat, and digestion.