The Neuroscience of the Hippocampus
And Why You Should Care
What is the Hippocampus?
The hippocampus is a region of the brain found in all mammals, including humans. The name hippocampus is Latin and translates to “horse sea monster,” it was given this name due to the region’s shape looking very similar to the Seahorse.
Where is the Hippocampus located?
The human brain divides into four different lobes which are, the frontal lobe at the front, the occipital lobe situated at the back of the head, the parietal lobe, which is the top part of the brain and the temporal lobe located at the sides of the brain. The medial part of the parietal lobe within the limbic system is where the hippocampus is in all mammals.
What are the functions of the Hippocampus?
It plays a big role in memory, and it is involved with the formation of new memories. It plays a vital role in the conversion of short-term memory into long-term memory, which is an important aspect in neural plasticity or the ability of the brain to change and reorganize to accommodate more information as a person grows.
Processing of memories of events occurring, facts and recognition also occur in this region. Due to its location in the…
