All parts of the brain › Functions

What does each part of the brain do?

The brain has specialised regions, but they are highly interconnected and process information in a distributed way, with the two views complementing each other [1]. So no function on this list lights only one part, and most parts appear on several pages. Each page below lights every part that takes part in one function on a 3D brain you can turn and slice, with each part’s role cited to an open source. Under the list, the same facts run the other way: each part, with the functions it takes part in.

The 36 functions

• What part of the brain controls balance? 8 parts lit: Cerebellum, Brainstem, Pons, Medulla oblongata, Midbrain, Thalamus, Insula, Occipital lobe
• What part of the brain controls memory? 6 parts lit: Hippocampus, Parahippocampal gyrus, Temporal lobe, Prefrontal cortex, Thalamus, Amygdala
• What part of the brain controls emotions? 5 parts lit: Amygdala, Hypothalamus, Cingulate gyrus, Insula, Prefrontal cortex
• What part of the brain controls movement? 11 parts lit: Precentral gyrus, Postcentral gyrus, Cerebellum, Caudate nucleus, Putamen, Globus pallidus, Internal capsule, Thalamus, Brainstem, Superior frontal gyrus, Middle frontal gyrus
• What part of the brain controls vision? 9 parts lit: Optic nerve, Optic chiasm, Optic tract, Lateral geniculate body, Occipital lobe, Temporal lobe, Parietal lobe, Fusiform gyrus, Superior colliculus
• What part of the brain controls sleep? 5 parts lit: Hypothalamus, Pineal gland, Pons, Thalamus, Brainstem
• What part of the brain controls consciousness? 7 parts lit: Midbrain, Pons, Medulla oblongata, Thalamus, Hypothalamus, Cingulate gyrus, Prefrontal cortex
• What part of the brain controls the bladder? 7 parts lit: Pons, Midbrain, Spinal cord (central canal), Insula, Cingulate gyrus, Prefrontal cortex, Hypothalamus
• What part of the brain controls breathing? 4 parts lit: Medulla oblongata, Pons, Brainstem, Precentral gyrus
• What part of the brain controls hunger? 5 parts lit: Hypothalamus, Medulla oblongata, Brainstem, Insula, Prefrontal cortex
• What part of the brain feels touch, temperature and pain? 6 parts lit: Postcentral gyrus, Thalamus, Parietal lobe, Insula, Cingulate gyrus, Brainstem
• What part of the brain controls speech and understands language? 7 parts lit: Inferior frontal gyrus, Superior temporal gyrus, Supramarginal gyrus, Angular gyrus, Precentral gyrus, Cerebellum, Thalamus
• What part of the brain controls hearing? 6 parts lit: Superior temporal gyrus, Medial geniculate body, Inferior colliculus, Pons, Medulla oblongata, Temporal lobe
• What part of the brain recognises faces? 4 parts lit: Fusiform gyrus, Occipital lobe, Inferior temporal gyrus, Amygdala
• What part of the brain is used for reading? 6 parts lit: Occipital lobe, Fusiform gyrus, Angular gyrus, Supramarginal gyrus, Superior temporal gyrus, Inferior frontal gyrus
• What part of the brain controls decision-making? 6 parts lit: Prefrontal cortex, Orbitofrontal cortex, Cingulate gyrus, Caudate nucleus, Amygdala, Insula
• What part of the brain controls heart rate and blood pressure? 5 parts lit: Medulla oblongata, Pons, Hypothalamus, Insula, Cingulate gyrus
• What part of the brain controls body temperature? 4 parts lit: Hypothalamus, Brainstem, Thalamus, Insula
• What part of the brain controls smell? 4 parts lit: Parahippocampal gyrus, Amygdala, Orbitofrontal cortex, Insula
• What part of the brain controls taste? 5 parts lit: Insula, Orbitofrontal cortex, Thalamus, Medulla oblongata, Pons
• What part of the brain controls hormones? 3 parts lit: Hypothalamus, Pituitary gland, Pineal gland
• What part of the brain is responsible for learning? 6 parts lit: Hippocampus, Caudate nucleus, Putamen, Cerebellum, Prefrontal cortex, Precentral gyrus
• What part of the brain controls attention? 5 parts lit: Brainstem, Thalamus, Prefrontal cortex, Parietal lobe, Cingulate gyrus
• What part of the brain controls eye movements? 8 parts lit: Extraocular muscles, Superior colliculus, Oculomotor nerve, Trochlear nerve, Midbrain, Pons, Middle frontal gyrus, Cerebellum
• What part of the brain controls reward, pleasure and motivation? 6 parts lit: Midbrain, Caudate nucleus, Putamen, Orbitofrontal cortex, Prefrontal cortex, Amygdala
• What part of the brain controls fear? 6 parts lit: Amygdala, Hypothalamus, Midbrain, Hippocampus, Prefrontal cortex, Insula
• What part of the brain controls thirst? 6 parts lit: Hypothalamus, Lamina terminalis, Fornix, Pituitary gland, Insula, Cingulate gyrus
• What part of the brain controls the stress response? 7 parts lit: Hypothalamus, Pituitary gland, Amygdala, Hippocampus, Prefrontal cortex, Pons, Medulla oblongata
• What part of the brain controls navigation and sense of direction? 5 parts lit: Hippocampus, Parahippocampal gyrus, Parietal lobe, Cingulate gyrus, Thalamus
• What part of the brain controls working memory? 6 parts lit: Middle frontal gyrus, Inferior frontal gyrus, Superior parietal lobule, Supramarginal gyrus, Caudate nucleus, Cingulate gyrus
• What part of the brain handles numbers and maths? 6 parts lit: Superior parietal lobule, Angular gyrus, Supramarginal gyrus, Prefrontal cortex, Fusiform gyrus, Inferior temporal gyrus
• What part of the brain controls writing? 6 parts lit: Middle frontal gyrus, Superior parietal lobule, Precentral gyrus, Cerebellum, Angular gyrus, Fusiform gyrus
• What part of the brain controls swallowing? 6 parts lit: Medulla oblongata, Pons, Precentral gyrus, Insula, Cingulate gyrus, Cerebellum
• What part of the brain controls facial expressions? 7 parts lit: Precentral gyrus, Pons, Cingulate gyrus, Amygdala, Caudate nucleus, Putamen, Globus pallidus
• What part of the brain senses where your body is (proprioception)? 6 parts lit: Spinal cord (central canal), Medulla oblongata, Thalamus, Postcentral gyrus, Superior parietal lobule, Cerebellum
• What part of the brain controls the pupil and blink reflexes? 7 parts lit: Eyeball, Optic nerve, Optic chiasm, Optic tract, Midbrain, Oculomotor nerve, Pons

By part: what each lit part takes part in

Counted from the pages above, so a part’s number is how many of these 36 pages light it, not a measure of how much it does.

• Insula (13): balance, emotions, bladder control, hunger, touch, decision-making, heart rate and blood pressure, body temperature, smell, taste, fear, thirst, swallowing
• Pons (13): balance, sleep, consciousness, bladder control, breathing, hearing, heart rate and blood pressure, taste, eye movements, stress response, swallowing, facial expressions, eye reflexes (pupil and blink)
• Cingulate gyrus (12): emotions, consciousness, bladder control, touch, decision-making, heart rate and blood pressure, attention, thirst, navigation, working memory, swallowing, facial expressions
• Prefrontal cortex (12): memory, emotions, consciousness, bladder control, hunger, decision-making, learning, attention, reward, fear, stress response, numbers and maths
• Thalamus (12): balance, memory, movement, sleep, consciousness, touch, speech, body temperature, taste, attention, navigation, body position (proprioception)
• Hypothalamus (11): emotions, sleep, consciousness, bladder control, hunger, heart rate and blood pressure, body temperature, hormones, fear, thirst, stress response
• Medulla oblongata (10): balance, consciousness, breathing, hunger, hearing, heart rate and blood pressure, taste, stress response, swallowing, body position (proprioception)
• Amygdala (9): memory, emotions, recognising faces, decision-making, smell, reward, fear, stress response, facial expressions
• Brainstem (8): balance, movement, sleep, breathing, hunger, touch, body temperature, attention
• Cerebellum (8): balance, movement, speech, learning, eye movements, writing, swallowing, body position (proprioception)
• Midbrain (7): balance, consciousness, bladder control, eye movements, reward, fear, eye reflexes (pupil and blink)
• Precentral gyrus (7): movement, breathing, speech, learning, writing, swallowing, facial expressions
• Caudate nucleus (6): movement, decision-making, learning, reward, working memory, facial expressions
• Fusiform gyrus (5): vision, recognising faces, reading, numbers and maths, writing
• Hippocampus (5): memory, learning, fear, stress response, navigation
• Angular gyrus (4): speech, reading, numbers and maths, writing
• Middle frontal gyrus (4): movement, eye movements, working memory, writing
• Occipital lobe (4): balance, vision, recognising faces, reading
• Orbitofrontal cortex (4): decision-making, smell, taste, reward
• Parietal lobe (4): vision, touch, attention, navigation
• Putamen (4): movement, learning, reward, facial expressions
• Superior parietal lobule (4): working memory, numbers and maths, writing, body position (proprioception)
• Supramarginal gyrus (4): speech, reading, working memory, numbers and maths
• Inferior frontal gyrus (3): speech, reading, working memory
• Parahippocampal gyrus (3): memory, smell, navigation
• Pituitary gland (3): hormones, thirst, stress response
• Postcentral gyrus (3): movement, touch, body position (proprioception)
• Superior temporal gyrus (3): speech, hearing, reading
• Temporal lobe (3): memory, vision, hearing
• Globus pallidus (2): movement, facial expressions
• Inferior temporal gyrus (2): recognising faces, numbers and maths
• Oculomotor nerve (2): eye movements, eye reflexes (pupil and blink)
• Optic chiasm (2): vision, eye reflexes (pupil and blink)
• Optic nerve (2): vision, eye reflexes (pupil and blink)
• Optic tract (2): vision, eye reflexes (pupil and blink)
• Pineal gland (2): sleep, hormones
• Spinal cord (central canal) (2): bladder control, body position (proprioception)
• Superior colliculus (2): vision, eye movements
• Extraocular muscles (1): eye movements
• Eyeball (1): eye reflexes (pupil and blink)
• Fornix (1): thirst
• Inferior colliculus (1): hearing
• Internal capsule (1): movement
• Lamina terminalis (1): thirst
• Lateral geniculate body (1): vision
• Medial geniculate body (1): hearing
• Superior frontal gyrus (1): movement
• Trochlear nerve (1): eye movements

Facts describe anatomy and normal function only. Small nuclei with no shape on the 3D model (the BodyParts3D brain, credits and licence) are lit through the part that holds them, so they are counted under that part.