Frontal Cortex

Expert in

Working memory, executive functions (knowledge organising and strategy making) or gratification postponement.

Makes you do the hard thing when it is the right thing to do

It becomes fully online when people cross their mid twenties.

Most of the human brain is not any different from other species.
We just have larger number of neurons compared to other species.
But frontal cortex is actually different kind of cells.
One such cell is spindle neurons which is common b/w complex species like elephants and dolphin and human. This is an exception compared to other kinds of neurons present in the frontal cortex.

spindle neurons occur in insular cortex and anterior cingulate.

Frontal cortex is bidirectionally linked with limbic system.
They stimulate and inhibit each other and drives decision making.

And with all these, comes the high metabolic rate.

Functions

The frontal cortex is concerned with focusing on the task.
It also meditates executive functions, looking for patterns and strategic thinking.
It tracks rules. Don't pee whenever you like it.

Parts of frontal cortex

Prefrontal cortex

Once a decision is made at prefrontal cortex, the signal is sent to premotor cortex.

Energy used by frontal cortex

It has a very high metabolic rate.
And hence it cannot function all the time and needs rest.
Self control is regulated by frontal cortex and when it gets tired, your self control shatters.
Self control is finite.
If your frontal cortex has worked very hard before, you will witness decreased productivity in other tasks as well.
Good thing is if you develop a habit, which means you transfer the activity to a more permanent structure like cerebellum then you can automatically perform the action without involving the cortex too much. Like potty-training. Once you are trained, your life becomes easier.