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1. News from the Institutes

How a gene shapes the architecture of the human brain

Organoids provide insights into brain development with unprecedented precision

27.11.2025

1. Basics
2. The Developing Brain

How Thinking develops

Rapid development: how the brain and mind develop in early childhood

18.03.2026

1. Basics
2. Anatomy

The Mesencephalon

Important neurotransmitters, an astonishing array of colors, and a water pipe – that's the midbrain.

20.09.2025

1. Glossary

Dorsolateral PFC

The dorsolateral prefrontal cortex is the upper (dorsal) and lateral part of the frontal lobe. It is involved in the planning and regulation of complex motor and intellectual actions. According to one experiment, this also seems to include lying. The dorsolateral PFC regulates these and other abilities in coordination with many other areas of the brain with which it is closely linked.

1. Glossary

Primary motor cortex

An area of the frontal lobe in the anterior wall of the central sulcus. It is considered to be the higher-level control unit responsible for voluntary and fine motor skills. This is where the cell bodies of the central motor neurons are located, whose axons primarily extend to the spinal cord (via the corticospinal tract). Only in the primary motor cortex do Betz giant cells occur, which are particularly large motor neurons whose axons extend directly to the motor neurons in the anterior horn of the spinal cord without prior synaptic switching.

1. Glossary

Premotor cortex

Part of the motor cortex in the frontal lobe. It is connected to the primary motor cortex and numerous other brain regions and is involved in the planning, preparation, and coordination of complex, voluntary movements. Examples of its functions include reaching for an object or the sequence of movements involved in targeted actions.

1. Glossary

Ventromedial prefrontal cortex

Anatomically, the ventromedial prefrontal cortex belongs to the frontal lobe of the cerebral cortex. In some patients with decision-making problems, neuroscientists find lesions in this region of the brain. The ventromedial prefrontal cortex also becomes active when we try to suppress negative emotions such as feelings of guilt. It receives signals from many other areas of the brain and innervates the amygdala, hypothalamus, and several areas of the cortex.

1. Glossary

Supplementary motor area

Area of the association motor cortex in the frontal lobe that is involved in movement planning and the organization of movement sequences.

1. Glossary

Area F5

A part of the ventral premotor cortex located in the frontal lobe of the mammalian brain. The nerve cells in this region of the brain are involved in planning and organizing purposeful movements, especially of the mouth and hand/grasping movements. Area F5 also has historical significance: it was here that researchers first discovered mirror neurons in macaques – the nerve cells in the brains of primates that fire just as strongly when their owners observe an action as when they perform it themselves.

1. Basics
2. Anatomy

The Thalamus dorsalis

The structure is complex, the tasks are varied. It supports the senses, motor skills, and psyche.

28.11.2025