The basic structures of the brain are the brainstem and cerebellum, the limbic system, and the cerebral cortex. Read on to see the components of each of these structures and for a very brief summary of their functions. Images courtesy of Stanford University's Introduction to Psychology course.
Lobes of the Cerebral Cortex
Frontal Lobe: center of rational human thought and higher order cognitive features, including motor control (contains motor cortex), cognitive activities (planning, decision making, problem solving, selective attention), personality, and language (speech production)
Parietal Lobe: center of sensation (contains somatosensory cortex), including touch, pressure, temperature, pain, fine sensations, and spatial awareness
Temporal Lobe: center for smell, hearing (contains auditory cortex), memory (connected to hippocampus), and language (speech perception)
Occipital Lobe: center for vision (contains visual cortex)
The Limbic System
Thalamus: receives sensory information (except taste and smell); routes information to cortical areas
Hypothalamus: controls motivated behaviors (fight or flight, feeding, sexual intercourse)