Explain how the hippocampus and amygdala work together, using specific examples

Question

What will be an ideal response?

Answer 1

The hippocampus, named after the Greek word for seahorse because of its long curved shape structure, has a more direct role in the memory process and is involved in encoding long term memories of events that can be consciously discussed termed declarative memories. It seems to have only an indirect role in the sensation and experience of emotion. The hippocampus appears to work with the amygdala in the fear conditioning process by encoding context while the amygdala adds the emotion. Thus, seeing a poisonous snake behind glass in a zoo is a context that is not as frightening as seeing that same snake a few feet ahead of you on a hiking trail. It is the hippocampus that helps the amygdala put the threat significance of the snake in its proper situational context so that your amygdala adds fear to the experience of the snake on the trail but not to the experience of the snake in the zoo. Likewise, it is the hippocampus that helped you determine if the bang sound was dangerous enough to signal your amygdala to activate your fear emotions. Memories encoded by your hippocampus of your neighbor's Siamese tomcat previously banging against your window late at night as it jumped up onto your outside window ledge enabled you to eventually put the bang in a non-threatening context and resume your slumber.