Lobe (anatomy)

For other uses, see Lobe (disambiguation).

In anatomy, a lobe is a clear anatomical division or extension of an organ (as seen for example in the brain, lung, liver, or kidney) that can be determined without the use of a microscope at the gross anatomy level. This is in contrast to the much smaller lobule, which is a clear division only visible under the microscope.

Lobes
Visceral surface of the liver showing the four lobes
Identifiers
TA98	A13.1.02.002
FMA	45728
Anatomical terminology

Interlobar ducts connect lobes and interlobular ducts connect lobules.

Examples of lobes

• The four main lobes of the brain
  • the frontal lobe
  • the parietal lobe
  • the occipital lobe
  • the temporal lobe
• The three lobes of the human cerebellum
  • the flocculonodular lobe
  • the anterior lobe
  • the posterior lobe
• The two lobes of the thymus
• The two and three lobes of the lungs
  • Left lung: superior and inferior
  • Right lung: superior, middle, and inferior
• The four lobes of the liver
  • Left lobe of liver
  • Right lobe of liver
  • Quadrate lobe of liver
  • Caudate lobe of liver
• The renal lobes of the kidney
• Earlobes

Examples of lobules

Lobules of the mammary glands.

• the cortical lobules of the kidney
• the testicular lobules of the testis
• the lobules of the mammary gland
• the pulmonary lobules of the lung
• the lobules of the thymus