What are the elements and functions of the cerebrum of the brain?

Question

What are the elements and functions of the cerebrum of the brain?

Answer 1

The cerebrum is the 'modern' part of the brain, the two big hemispheres up front and on top.  These are highly developed in mammals, especially in humans (but also in other apes, whales and porpoises, and elephants).

The outer part that you see is divided into 4 lobes:  frontal, parietal, temporal, and occipital.  The frontal and parietal lobes are associative areas, and the frontal lobe is crucial for the human mind and emotions.  The temporal lobe is involved in hearing.  The occipital lobe houses the visual cortex.

The surface of the human cerebrum, the cerebral cortex, is highly folded to increase the number of neurons in the brain.  Among these folds, behind the temporal lobe, is another lobe, the insula.  I think it is implicated in emotions, and perhaps learning.

Inside the cortex is the white matter.  This is the axons - the telephone wires, if you will - with which the cortex communicates with itself and the rest of the brain and body.  

Amongst the white matter are a number of ganglia.  These collections of neurons are known as the basal ganglia and are crucial for movement, but also play roles in emotion, thought, and personality.

Overall, the cerebral hemispheres are what make us human, what gives us our personalities, and our thoughts and much of our memory.  Art, music, mathematics, and language and all that these encompass are activities of the cerebri.

I hope this helps.