Gross Anatomy of the Brain

The two hemispheres of the cerebral cortex are part of the forebrain, which is the largest part of the brain. The forebrain contains the cerebrum and a number of other deep brain structures that lie beneath the cortex including the: thalamus, hypothalamus, pituitary gland, and the limbic system. The cerebral cortex, which is the outer surface of the brain, is associated with higher level processes such as consciousness, thought, emotion, reasoning, language, and memory. 


One thing you’ll notice about the cerebral cortex, is how uneven – or ‘bumpy’ – it actually is. There are  distinct patterns of folds and bumps known as gyri. Between each gyrus are these grooves, which we call sulci. Take a look at the figure to the right, the gyri These gyri and sulci form important landmarks that allow us to separate the brain into functional centers.


The most prominent sulcus, known as the longitudinal fissure, is the deep groove that separates the brain into two halves or hemispheres: the left hemisphere and the right hemisphere. There is evidence of some specialization of function—referred to as lateralization—in each hemisphere, mainly regarding differences in language ability. Beyond that, however, the differences that have been found have been minor. What we do know is that the left hemisphere controls the right half of the body, and the right hemisphere controls the left half of the body.