Brain Gyrus and Sulcus Labeled, Side and Inner Face
Tap any fold or groove of the brain to read about it.
Brain Gyrus and Sulcus Labeled, Side and Inner Face
Name Date
Tap any fold or groove to read, rename or leave it out
1 of 8
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Write the name of each numbered fold or groove.Answer key
Central sulcus
Lateral sulcus
Precentral gyrus
Postcentral gyrus
Superior frontal gyrus
Middle frontal gyrus
Inferior frontal gyrus
Precentral sulcus
Postcentral sulcus
Intraparietal sulcus
Supramarginal gyrus
Angular gyrus
Superior temporal gyrus
Middle temporal gyrus
Inferior temporal gyrus
Cingulate gyrus
Cingulate sulcus
Paracentral lobule
Precuneus
Parieto-occipital sulcus
Cuneus
Calcarine sulcus
Drawn for this site on 2026-10-01 from plain geometry. Licence: own work.
Each numbered ring is a button. Use the arrow keys to move between them and Enter to choose. Names are read out in Study, and once a fold or groove is answered.
Central sulcusThe groove between the frontal and parietal lobes.
Lateral sulcusThe deep groove above the temporal lobe. It parts that lobe from the parietal and frontal lobes.
Precentral gyrusThe fold just in front of the central sulcus. It holds the primary motor cortex.
Postcentral gyrusThe fold just behind the central sulcus. It holds the primary somatosensory cortex.
Superior temporal gyrusThe fold between the lateral sulcus and the superior temporal sulcus.
Cingulate gyrusThe fold that wraps round the corpus callosum.
Parieto-occipital sulcusThe groove between the parietal and occipital lobes.
Calcarine sulcusThe groove under the cuneus. The primary visual cortex lies along it.
From the side 10
Superior frontal gyrusThe top fold of the frontal lobe, above the superior frontal sulcus.
Middle frontal gyrusThe fold from superior to inferior frontal sulcus.
Inferior frontal gyrusThe lowest fold of the frontal lobe, under its inferior sulcus. It has three parts: orbital, triangular and opercular.
Precentral sulcusThe groove in front of the precentral gyrus. It runs alongside the central sulcus.
Postcentral sulcusThe groove behind the postcentral gyrus. It runs alongside the central sulcus.
Intraparietal sulcusThe groove between the superior and inferior parietal lobules.
Supramarginal gyrusThe fold that arches over the end of the lateral sulcus.
Angular gyrusThe fold that arches over the end of the superior temporal sulcus.
Middle temporal gyrusThe middle of the three folds of the temporal lobe.
Inferior temporal gyrusThe lowest fold on the side of the temporal lobe. It wraps round onto the underside.
Inner face 4
Cingulate sulcusThe groove above the cingulate gyrus. Its back end turns up to the top edge.
Paracentral lobuleThe inner-face continuation of the precentral and postcentral gyri.
PrecuneusThe square fold of the parietal lobe, in front of the cuneus.
CuneusThe wedge between the parieto-occipital and calcarine sulci.
How this list was compiled: Every name checked on 2026-10-01 in at least two of these. (1) Wikipedia, English edition, Gyrus, Sulcus (neuroanatomy), Paracentral lobule, Precuneus, Supramarginal gyrus, Calcarine sulcus and Cingulate cortex, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gyrus. (2) Henry Gray, Anatomy of the Human Body (1918), The Fore-brain or Prosencephalon, https://www.bartleby.com/lit-hub/anatomy-of-the-human-body/4c-the-fore-brain-or-prosencephalon/. (3) Kenhub, Cerebral cortex and Lateral view of the brain, https://www.kenhub.com/en/library/anatomy/cerebral-cortex. (4) Neuroscience Online, McGovern Medical School at UTHealth Houston, Section 2, Chapter 1, https://nba.uth.tmc.edu/neuroscience/m/s2/chapter01.html. (5) TeachMeAnatomy, The Cerebrum, https://teachmeanatomy.info/neuroanatomy/structures/cerebrum/. Detail lines are in our own words. Licence: own work
The drawing: Drawn for this site on 2026-10-01 from plain geometry; nothing traced. Licence: own work
How it works
A gyrus is a fold of the cerebrum and a sulcus is the groove beside it. Two drawings of one hemisphere show the brain grooves labeled as heavy lines and the folds as the blocks between them.
Read the full guide
The side first, then the inner face
From the side, 1 and 2 are the central and lateral sulci, and 3 and 4 the precentral and postcentral gyri each side of the central sulcus. Numbers 5 to 7 are the superior, middle and inferior frontal gyri. Numbers 8 to 10 are the precentral, postcentral and intraparietal sulci, 11 and 12 the supramarginal and angular gyri, and 13 to 15 the superior, middle and inferior temporal gyri. On the inner face, 16 and 17 are the cingulate gyrus and sulcus, 18 the paracentral lobule, 19 the precuneus, 20 the parieto-occipital sulcus, 21 the cuneus and 22 the calcarine sulcus.
Find the central sulcus first. Pre means in front and post means behind, for the gyri and for the sulci beside them.
In the frontal and the temporal lobe the three folds are named from the top down: superior, middle, inferior.
Questions and answers
What is the difference between a gyrus and a sulcus?
A gyrus is a ridge, or fold, on the surface of the cerebrum. A sulcus is the groove between two folds. The plurals are gyri and sulci, and a large, deep groove is often called a fissure.
What are the main sulci of the brain?
The central sulcus parts frontal lobe from parietal lobe. The lateral sulcus parts the temporal lobe from both. The parieto-occipital sulcus divides the parietal and occipital lobes, and the calcarine sulcus runs through the primary visual cortex.
Which gyri lie beside the central sulcus?
The precentral gyrus lies in front of it and holds the primary motor cortex. The postcentral gyrus lies behind it and holds the primary somatosensory cortex. On the inner face the two join in the paracentral lobule.
Where is the cingulate gyrus?
On the inner face of each hemisphere. It wraps round the corpus callosum, and the cingulate sulcus runs along its outer side before turning up to the top edge.