Amygdala Amygdala The amygdala (; plural: amygdalae; also "corpus amygdaloideum"; Latin from Greek, , "", 'Almond', 'tonsil') is one of two almond-shaped clusters of nuclei located deep and medially within the temporal lobes of the brain in complex vertebrates, including humans. Shown in research to perform a primary role in the processing of memory, decision-making and emotional responses (including fear, anxiety, and aggression), the amygdalae are considered part of the limbic system. The regions described as amygdala nuclei encompass several structures with distinct connectional and functional characteristics in humans and other animals. Among these nuclei are the basolateral complex, the cortical
Neuroanatomy of memory the slow process by which memories are converted from short to long term memory. This is supported by studies in which lesions are applied to rat hippocampi at different times after learning. The process of consolidation may take up to a couple years. It has also been found that it is possible to form new semantic memories without the hippocampus, but not episodic memories, which means that explicit descriptions of actual events (episodic) cannot be learned, but some meaning and knowledge is gained from experiences (semantic). The cerebellum ("little brain") is a structure located at the rear of the brain,