Temporal lobe

Lobus temporalis

NervousOrgansHeadLeft and right

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What it is
Lies below the lateral (Sylvian) fissure in the middle cranial fossa; its rounded temporal pole projects forward beneath the frontal lobe, and its medial part hides the hippocampus and amygdala.
Function
Hearing (primary auditory cortex on the transverse temporal gyri), understanding language (Wernicke area, usually left), recognising objects and faces, and laying down new memories.
Size
About 9-10 cm long from the temporal pole back to the occipital lobe
Clinical note
The commonest source of focal epilepsy (mesial temporal sclerosis); seizures often begin with a rising stomach sensation, deja vu or a strange smell.

Nearby nervous structures Caudate nucleus, Globus pallidus, Hippocampus, Insula, Lateral ventricle, Optic tract, Putamen, Thalamus, Trochlear nerve (CN IV), Vestibulocochlear nerve (CN VIII)