Hippocampus
Don't Forget It
Definition Of The Hippocampus
The Hippocampus is a part of the brain that forms memories, organizes, and stores information. It is a limbic system structure that is important in creating new memories and joining emotions and senses such as smell, and sound to memories. The Hippocampus has an important role for Episodic memory and navigation. The Hippocampus acts as a memory indexer by delivering memories to the cerebral hemisphere for long term storage, and collects them when necessary.Short term memories become combined with emotional responsesso they can create a longterm memory.
Parts of The Hippocampus
The cross section of the hippocampus reveals important areas such as CA4, CA3, CA2, CA1 these are the major groups of cell bodies, which make up the hippocampus formation.
Another area of the hippocampus is called the subiculum, it is composed of neurons.
The final area of the Hippocampus is called the entorhinal Cortex, this is the part that enters in to the interinal cortex, project to cells in the Denate Gyrus .
What Happens When The Hippocampus Is damaged?
Hippocampul damage {damage to the hippocampus} is when you have lost the ability to form new longterm memories, but older memories may be safe. Someone who continues and injury to hippocampus, will possibly have a good memory of their childhood and the years before the injury occurred, but any memories that have happened since the injury will not be remembered.
According to Dr. John Growdon, which is a professor of neurology at the Harvard medical school , damage to the Hippocampus or it's nerves can cause Amnesia.
Amnesia
Amnesia is when people have trouble learning, and can't remember new information. People with amnesia can't form new longterm memories, and they soon forget new information they have just learned.For example researchers have found that people that have amnesia can continue playing things like checkers, chess, soccer, etc. as well as they used to play because that was something that they learned before having amnesia, but they will forget things like the opponent's name.
Definition Of The Amygdala And How It Is Related to The Hippocampus
The Amygdala and the Hippocampus are related to each other because they have some of the same purposes and functions as each other. Within the limbic system the hippocampus and the amygdala are under the hypothalamus [which is also another part of the limbic system]. The two parts [amygdala and hippocampus] form longterm memory, processing emotions, and figuring out how emotions are tied to memories. Even thought these parts work together, they don't have all the same functions. The Amygdala has many roles,it gives you the ability to feel emotions this includes fear and changes that it causes in the body,it can detect fear,and it can control the brains responsibility to coordinate many responses to the emotional stimuli. This includes endocrince, automatic, and behaviour responses. Stress, anxiety, and fear are primary stimuli that creates responses. [Stimuli makes things wake up] Meditation by the Amygdala helps control how stimuli collaborates and provides coordination.