Definition of Cerebrum

Definition of Cerebrum

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Cerebrum: The largest part of the brain. It is divided into two hemispheres, or halves.

The word "cerebrum" is the Latin word for "brain." The Romans used the same word to refer to the "skull" (which houses the brain) and the "head" (which houses the skull). And in Rome "cerebrum" also meant "understanding" (and a fiery temper). The word "cerebrate", meaning "to use the mind or think", comes from the Latin "cerebrum."

an enlarged anterior or upper part of the brain; especially : the expanded anterior portion of the brain that in higher mammals overlies the rest of the brain, consists of cerebral hemispheres and connecting structures, and is considered to be the seat of conscious mental processes

(n.) cerebrum

the forward and upper part of the brain, involved with voluntary movement and conscious processes, in mammals and birds greatly enlarged.

Derived from TELENCEPHALON, cerebrum is composed of a right and a left hemisphere. Each contains an outer cerebral cortex and a subcortical basal ganglia. The cerebrum includes all parts within the skull except the MEDULLA OBLONGATA, the PONS, and the CEREBELLUM. Cerebral functions include sensorimotor, emotional, and intellectual activities.

the anterior, and in man the larger, division of the brain; the seat of the reasoning faculties and the will.

nterior portion of the brain consisting of two hemispheres; dominant part of the brain in humans

The cerebrum, which simply means "brain" in Latin, is the non-technical term for the telencephalon, the largest part of the human brain -- also known as the cerebral hemispheres. It is the most recent part of the brain to evolve, and positioned on top of the more evolutionarily ancient portions of the brain, such as the brain stem.

The cerebrum is part of the forebrain, which includes the telencephalon (meaning cerebrum) and diencephalon (the thalamus and hypothalamus). Other regions include the cerebellum and brain stem.

An image of the cerebrum is what most people envision when they hear the word brain. In humans, this region is so large that it dominates most of the volume of the brain. The cerebrum is broken down into four parts -- the limbic system, basal ganglia, olfactory bulb, and cerebral cortex. The majority of neurological machinery implementing our sensory functions and complex learned behaviors can be found in these regions.

The most famous part of the cerebrum is the cerebral cortex, or the surface of the brain. Its characteristic folded surface emerged as an evolutionary tactic to compress as many neurons into as small a space as possible. The cortex is divided into four lobes: the parietal, temporal, occipital, and frontal lobes. Among these lobes can be found the brain areas responsible for processing vision, executing movement, consolidating sensory data, abstract thought, and many other important functions.

Another area of the cerebrum is the olfactory bulb. This phylogenetically old portion of the brain processes smell information and chemical signals such as pheromones. The basal ganglia are portions of the cerebrum located deep in the central hemisphere, made up of so-called "white matter" as opposed to the folded "grey matter" on the surface of the brain. Basal ganglia are nuclei, or transit points for electrical signals, associated with motor and learning functions.

The limbic system is another portion of the cerebrum and is associated with the emotions. Oft-discussed parts of the limbic system include the hippocampus, essential for memory, and the amygdala, which mediates emotions such as fear and anxiety. Put simply, you can think of the cerebrum as the entire brain except for the cerebellum and brain stem.