What Brain Functions Are Done by the Left Occipital Brain?
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The right and left occipital lobes are divisions of the cerebrum, the largest anatomical section of the human brain. It's divided into four sets of lobes with a fifth lobe deep inside the brain. It controls the highest functions of the central nervous system including perceptual awareness, consciousness, thinking, language and memory. The occipital lobes, containing the visual cortex, are the smallest of the brain's set of four true lobes. They're located at the back of the head, under the occipital skull bone. - The brain's largest, most important part, the cerebrum, is covered by the cerebral cortex, a thin skin of neural matter that's the evolutionarily newest development of the brain.To save space, the cortex is densely folded and compacted into the confines of the cranium. The sensory areas of the cortex receive electro-chemical stimuli from the sense organs, which are sent to cortical areas to be processed. The optical nerves relay information to the occipital lobes where the brain's visual cortex converts the impulses into a visual map allowing us to interpret and navigate through our world.
- The occipital lobes are the brain's primary area for processing visual perception, including shape, motion and color recognition. The lobes and hemispheres of the brain respond to and control the opposite side of the body: The left occipital lobe receives and processes stimuli from the right eye, and vice versa. The occipital lobes have association areas that help us organize and recognize visual imagery.
- Complex mental functions require the coordinated cooperation of many different areas of the brain. Some parts of the brain perform many different functions. No single part of the brain stands alone. The brain is an interdependent system that only functions when all of its parts are working together. While the occipital lobes are the brain's main visual center, they need input and communication from all the other lobes to make visual sense of our external world.
