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We know our brains are responsible for how smart we are and how well we do in school. Do you ever think about how much else your brain does? Every move you make, from involuntary functions, like blinking your eye, to voluntary ones, like watching this video, is conducted by the brain.
Scientists now know that different regions of the brain are responsible for different jobs; from the speech center to the motor center. All regions of the brain are amazing machines that rarely take a break. The premotor cortex is the region we'll focus on in this lesson.
Every move the body makes is due to the brain's ability to send signals to the right muscles. All of this happens in a part of the brain called the motor cortex region. The motor cortex has three main parts that each have their own job - the primary motor cortex, the supplementary motor area, and the premotor cortex. The motor region controls all voluntary movements, from planning them to carrying them out. Swinging a baseball bat, typing on the computer, or drinking water are all controlled in the motor cortex region.
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The premotor cortex is located just in front of the primary motor cortex in the brain. Its job is to prepare the body's muscles for the exact movements the will make. In other words, it helps you control your movements. This morning you got up and dressed. You brushed your teeth and combed your hair. The premotor cortex allowed you to make choices about these movements. You squeezed toothpaste onto your toothbrush and not lotion due to the premotor cortex. It uses information provided by your senses, like seeing the toothpaste tube, to guide decisions.
While the motor cortex is responsible for the specific movements your body makes, the premotor cortex helps decide which movements to use. Think of a professional tennis player. He may know as he approaches a shot that he has a choice of hitting down the line or crosscourt, depending on which way his opponent moves just before the shot. That external cue tells the premotor cortex to select the most appropriate shot and then signal the motor cortex which actions it should take.
The premotor cortex is divided into two sections, the lateral and medial areas. The lateral area responds to external clues, like we saw with the tennis player before. When he judged where the ball was and lined up his next move, he was using the lateral area. The medial area responds to internal cues, like memory, such as when a tennis player mentally rehearses his form before a match.
Every move the body makes is due to the brain's ability to send signals to the right muscles. All of this happens in a part of the brain called the motor cortex region. It controls all voluntary movements, from planning them to carrying them out. One of the three main parts of this region is the premotor cortex, which has the job of preparing the body's muscles for the exact movements they'll make. While the motor cortex is responsible for the specific movements your body makes, the premotor cortex helps decide which movements to use, based on various cues it processes.
The premotor cortex is divided into two sections: the lateral area responds to external cues, like those given to you by your senses. The medial area responds to internal cues, such as memory.
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Anatomy & Physiology: Tutoring Solution19 chapters | 330 lessons
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