Answer
Most of the cortex of the cerebrum is concerned with dealing with sensory stimuli. This includes the cortex of the insula,, and of the parietal, occipital, and temporal lobes. Sensory inputs arrive at the primary sensory cortex first, This area makes us aware of the signals. The input then goes to the adjacent association cortex where the signal is interpreted. For example, visual signals from the eye are first received in the primary visual cortex. Then the adjacent visual association cortex interprets the visual stimuli so that we are able to recognize what we are seeing.
Work Step by Step
Not all primary association areas are stimuli specific-- some are multimodal. This means that they receive signals from more than one sense. They integrate these different types of sensory signals, and enable us to form an overall picture of our environment. For instance, the orbitofrontal cortex receives taste, smell, and visual stimuli. If these come from a dish or a food item, the integration enables us to decide whether the food is desirable or not.
