Amygdala Flashcards
1
Q
Amygdala
A
The amygdala is an olive shaped structure located medially in the anterior temporal lobe, above the hippocampal formation. It is a core part of the limbic system.
A metaphor to help understand the function of the amygdala is that of a car being driven on the road. The frontal lobe of the brain is the driver and the amygdala is the dashboard. The driver makes the decisions on what to do, and the amygdala provides the driver with warning signals such as temperature, and feul levels. In this way the amygdala gives information a emotional label.
The amygdala is invoved in the fight flight response and also plays a role in the hypothalamic control of eating.
