Lobe Names Parts of the Ear, the Brain and a Leaf
A lobe is a rounded projecting part. Anatomy and botany both use the word constantly.
A lobe is a rounded projecting part of an organ, leaf or structure. The brain has four lobes per hemisphere — frontal, parietal, temporal and occipital — named for the skull bones above them rather than for what they do. The lungs have five between them, and the liver has four. Greek *lobos* meant a lobe of the ear or liver, so the word began in anatomy and spread outward to botany and engineering.
- A rounded part. *An earlobe.*
- A brain division. *The frontal lobe.*
- A lung section. *The upper lobe.*
- A leaf division. *A lobed leaf.*
- Greek — *lobos*. *The source.*
Word forms
| Form | Word | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Noun | lobe | A lobe. |
| Plural | lobes | Lobes. |
| Adjective | lobed | Lobed. |
| Compound | earlobe | An earlobe. |
| Greek | lobos | A lobe. |
- The earlobe was pierced.Anatomy.
- The frontal lobe is largest.Brain.
- An oak has lobed leaves.Botany.
The four lobes of the brain
- Frontal — planning, movement and much of personality
- Parietal — touch, spatial sense and navigation
- Temporal — hearing, language and memory
- Occipital — vision, almost entirely
- All four are named after the skull bones above them
Greek *lobos*, a lobe of the ear or liver, through late Latin *lobus*.
Why are brain lobes named as they are?
After the skull bones lying above them, not after their functions, which were identified much later.
How many lobes do the lungs have?
Five in total: three in the right lung and two in the left, which is smaller to make room for the heart.