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The Interior Brain Deep in the brain, beneath the exterior lobes is the interior brain . The Limbic System is located within the interior brain and contains structures important to learning: Hypothalamus (hy•po• thal •a•mus) Hungry? Thirsty? Sleepy? This structure constantly monitors internal systems like body temperature, hunger and fatigue. Its function is to keep everything in balance. If your hypothalamus senses that you need to eat or sleep, or that you are too hot or too cold, it may distract you from learning , and nag at you until you take care of your body. Amygdala (ah• mig •dah•la) Boo! The amygdala is responsible for emotions like fear, happiness and sadness. Ever wondered why it’s easier to recall (or harder to forget) something really scary, sad or happy—even if it happened years ago? Experts believe that your amygdala may more forcefully imprint emotional memories , which enables them to store faster, longer and stronger. Neurons, Dendrites, Axons and Synapses Sensory information from the outside world moves into the limbic system structures along nerve cells called neurons . The brain is made up billions of neurons. Each neuron has thousands of branchlike extensions called dendrites and axons . These constantly receive and transmit electrical impulses to areas called synapses . Synapses enable neurons to communicate and process information. PRODUCT PREVIEW Hippocampus (hip•po• cam •pus) Ground zero for learning, memory and recall. Can you believe this tiny structure is responsible processing most of what you learn and converting sensory data (what you see, hear and feel) to memory? The conversion of information to memory is not an instantaneous process. It can take several exposures to information before a memory is formed well-enough to be recalled. Hippocampus
Neurons
Dendrites and Axons
Synapses
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Chapter 3 | A Bit About Brainy
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