Scientists Say: Hippocampus
This part of the brain gets its name from a fish
The curling red structure in this picture is the hippocampus, an area of the brain essential for memory.
decade3d/istockphoto
Hippocampus (noun, “HIP-oh-CAMP-us”, plural “HIP-oh-CAMP-ee)
This brain area is important for forming new memories. There is a hippocampus on either side of your brain. Each forms a curl near the middle of the brain that curves up and around. The curl of the hippocampus reminded the scientists who named it of a seahorse. In Greek, “hippocampus” roughly translates to “seahorse.”
The hippocampi are required for forming new memories. Scientists found out just how essential they are from a man named Henry Molaison. He’s also known as patient H.M. Molaison had both of his hippocampi removed in 1957. The surgery was meant to stop him from having seizures. But it left him without the ability to form new memories. Scientists studied H.M.’s memory until his death in 2008. His brain has been preserved for more studies.
In a sentence
As part of its job forming memories, the hippocampus helps us to navigate new neighborhoods.
Follow Eureka! Lab on Twitter
