Library · Anatomy
Temporal lobe
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The temporal lobe is one of the parts the surface of the brain is divided into: together with the occipital, parietal and frontal lobes, it forms the cerebral cortex, the outer layer of the brain. Well-known structures live inside the temporal lobe, among them the hippocampus and the amygdala.
It helps to know where it sits. It sits mostly in the middle cranial fossa, a hollow in the base of the skull, and lies below the lateral sulcus, a deep groove also called the sylvian fissure. It sits at about the level of the temple, below the groove that runs along the side of the brain.
What it does is easiest to understand by looking at what is lost when it is damaged. An injury to the temporal lobe can cause Wernicke aphasia. Aphasia is a language disorder, and this one takes a very particular form: the person keeps speaking with normal rate and tone but mixes up words and puts together sentences that make no sense.
In brief
The temporal lobe forms the cerebral cortex along with the occipital, parietal and frontal lobes, and it houses the hippocampus and the amygdala.
It sits mostly in the middle cranial fossa, below the lateral sulcus, also called the sylvian fissure.
It sits at about the level of the temple, below the groove that runs along the side of the brain.
Damage to it can cause Wernicke aphasia: the person speaks with normal rate and tone but mixes up words and forms sentences that make no sense.
Sources (1)
- National Center for Biotechnology Information, StatPearls PublishingNeuroanatomy, Temporal Lobe, StatPearlsPublished
This page explains the topic in general terms; it does not tell anyone what treatment to follow.
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