The main difference between cerebral parietal lobe and occipital lobe is that the cerebral parietal lobe is located at the top and back of the brain behind the central sulcus, whereas the occipital lobe is located at the back of the brain behind the parietal and temporal lobes.
The cerebral parietal lobe and the occipital lobe are two distinct regions of the brain with different functions.
Key Areas Covered
1. What is Cerebral Parietal Lobe
– Definition, Structure, Function
2. What is Occipital Lobe
– Definition, Structure, Function
3. Similarities – Cerebral Parietal Lobe and Occipital Lobe
– Outline of Common Features
4. Difference Between Cerebral Parietal Lobe and Occipital Lobe
– Comparison of Key Differences
Key Terms
Cerebral Parietal Lobe, Occipital Lobe
What is Cerebral Parietal Lobe
The cerebral parietal lobe is one of the four main lobes of the brain located in the upper back region of the cerebral cortex. It plays a crucial role in processing sensory information, spatial perception, language, attention, and memory. This lobe receives inputs from various sensory modalities and integrates them to provide a comprehensive perception of the external world.
The parietal lobe can be divided into two main regions: the post-central gyrus and the superior parietal lobule. The postcentral gyrus is the main somatosensory cortex responsible for processing touch, pressure, pain, temperature, and proprioceptive information from different parts of the body. It is organized in a somatotopic manner, meaning that different areas of the cortex correspond to specific body regions. This organization allows for precise localisation and discrimination of sensory stimuli.
The superior parietal lobule, located just posterior to the postcentral gyrus, is involved in various higher-order functions. It plays a main role in spatial perception and spatial awareness. Moreover, this region integrates visual, auditory, and somatosensory inputs to create a coherent representation of the body in space. It helps people to perceive the position and movement of their limbs, navigate through the environment and interact with objects effectively. Moreover, the superior parietal lobule contributes to visuospatial processing, including mental rotation, spatial attention, and working memory. It helps us understand and manipulate visual information in relation to objects and their spatial relationships.
Functions of the Parietal Lobe
The parietal lobe is also involved in language processing, mainly related to reading and writing. The angular gyrus, which is a part of the inferior parietal lobule, plays a main role in transforming visual representations of words into meaningful language. Damage to the angular gyrus can result in a condition called alexia, where individuals have difficulty reading even though their visual acuity and language comprehension are intact.
In addition to sensory and language functions, the parietal lobe contributes to the attentional processes. The right parietal lobe is responsible for spatial attention allowing us to focus on specific locations in the visual field, while the left parietal lobe is involved in selective attention, allowing us to filter irrelevant information and concentrate on specific tasks. The parietal lobe also interacts with other brain regions to support memory functions.
What is Occipital Lobe
The occipital lobe is an important region of the brain responsible for visual processing and perception. Located at the back of the cerebral cortex, it is one of the four main lobes that make up the brain. The main function of the occipital lobe is to receive and process visual information from the eyes. It contains the main visual cortex, also known as V1 or the striate cortex, which is the main destination for visual inputs. The visual information is transmitted from the retina to the occipital lobe via the optic nerve. The main visual cortex analyses the basic features of the visual scene, such as shape, colour, motion, and orientation.
The occipital lobe can be further divided into several functional areas beyond the main visual cortex. These areas are responsible for higher-level visual processing, including object recognition, spatial perception, and visual memory. One such area is the secondary visual cortex (V2), which is involved in the analysis of more complex visual features, such as the organization of visual stimuli and the perception of edges and contours. Additionally, the occipital lobe houses the visual association cortex, which integrates visual information from multiple sources and helps in interpreting and recognizing objects and scenes.
Moreover, the occipital lobe is organized in a retinotopic manner, meaning that adjacent areas of the visual cortex correspond to adjacent areas of the retina. This organization also allows for the accurate representation of the visual field in the brain. The central portion of the visual field is represented in the posterior part of the occipital lobe, while the peripheral regions are represented in the anterior parts.
Similarities Between Cerebral Parietal Lobe and Occipital Lobe
- Both parietal and occipital lobes are part of the cerebral cortex.
- The parietal and occipital lobes are interconnected with each other and other regions of the brain through neural pathways.
- Moreover, both the parietal lobe and occipital lobe contribute to spatial perception.
- In brief, the parietal lobe and occipital lobe are involved in memory and attentional processes.
Difference Between Cerebral Parietal Lobe and Occipital Lobe
Definition
The cerebral parietal lobe is located at the top and back of the brain behind the central sulcus, whereas the occipital lobe is situated at the back of the brain behind the parietal and temporal lobes.
Functions
The parietal lobe is mainly involved in processing sensory information from various modalities and contributes to spatial perception, language processing, attention, and memory, while the occipital lobe is mainly responsible for visual processing.
Sensory Modalities
Moreover, the parietal lobe receives inputs from various sensory modalities, including touch, pressure, pain, temperature, and proprioception, while the occipital lobe specifically processes visual information received from the eyes.
Conclusion
In brief, the cerebral parietal lobe and occipital lobe are two distinct regions of the brain with different functions. The main difference between cerebral parietal lobe and occipital lobe is that the cerebral parietal lobe is located at the top and back of the brain behind the central sulcus, whereas the occipital lobe is located at the back of the brain behind the parietal and temporal lobes.
Reference:
1. “Parietal Lobe.” Science Direct.
2. “Occipital Lobe.” Medical News Today.
Image Courtesy:
1. “Parietal lobe – superior view” By Anatomography – en:Anatomography (CC BY-SA 2.1 jp) via Commons Wikimedia
2. “Occipital lobe – posterior view” By Anatomography – en:Anatomography (CC BY-SA 2.1 jp) via Commons Wikimedia
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