Areas of the Cerebral Cortex

Primary motor cortex location

precentral gyrus

Primary motor cortex function

plans and executes movement

Premotor cortex location

lateral and medial frontal lobe

Premotor cortex function

plans and executes complex movement

frontal eye fields location

anterior to the premotor cortex

frontal eye fields function

back and forth eye movement

primary somatosensory cortex 1 location

postcentral gyrus of parietal lobe

primary somatosensory cortex 1 function

interprets incoming somatic sensory stimuli

somatosensory association complex 2 location

posterior to the primary somatosensory cortex

somatosensory association complex 2 function

integrates somatic sensory stimuli

primary visual cortex location

posterior occipital lobe

primary visual cortex function

interprets and processes visual stimuli

primary auditory cortex location

superior temporal lobe

primary auditory cortex function

processes auditory stimuli

gustatory cortex location

insula, parietal lobe

gustatory cortex function

processes taste stimuli

vestibular areas location

parietal and temporal lobes

vestibular areas function

processes stimuli relating to equilibrium and balance

Olfactory cortex location

limbic lobe, medial temporal lobe

Olfactory cortex function

processes smell stimuli

Broca’s area location

superolateral frontal lobe

Broca’s area function

language production

Wernicke’s area location

superolateral temporal lobe

Wernicke’s area function

language comprehension

Prefrontal cortex location

anterior frontal lobe

Prefrontal cortex function

planning, personality, higher cognitive functions

parietal association cortex location

parietal lobe

parietal association cortex function

spatial awareness and attention

temporal association cortex location

temporal lobe

temporal association cortex function

recognition and associations