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Module 1.4b

The Hippocampus
The hippocampus is a curved brain structure that pro- TEACH 1.4-6

cesses conscious, explicit memories. Humans who lose
their hippocampus to surgery or injury also lose their Teaching Tip
ability to form new memories of facts and events ( Clark
& Maguire, 2016 ). Those who survive a hippocampal brain Students often confuse the names of the
tumor in childhood struggle to remember new informa- hypothalamus and the hippocampus.
tion in adulthood ( Jayakar et al., 2015 ). National Football Help them use mnemonic devices so
League (NFL) players who experience one or more loss-of-
consciousness concussions may later have a shrunken that they don’t rely on acoustic encod-
hippocampus and poor memory (Strain et al., 2015; ing alone. One interesting mnemonic
Tharmaratnam et al., 2018). Hippocampus size and function
decrease as we grow older, which furthers cognitive decline Elise Amendola/AP Images has students imagining a hippo sitting
( O’Callaghan et al., 2019 ; see Module 3.2). Modules 2.5 and around a campfire telling stories—a vivid
2.7 explain how our two-track mind uses the hippocampus image of creating an episodic memory—

to process our memories. Are football players’ brains protected? When researchers analyzed the
brains of 111 deceased National Football League players, 99 percent showed
* * * signs of degeneration related to frequent head trauma ( Mez et al., 2017 . In 2017, which is what the hippocampus is
)
NFL player Aaron Hernandez (#81) died by suicide while imprisoned for murder. responsible for in the brain. Warning:
Figure 1.4-11 locates the brain areas we’ve discussed, as An autopsy revealed that his brain, at age 27, was already showing advanced

well as the cerebral cortex — the body’s ultimate control degeneration ( Kilgore, 2017 . In hopes of protecting players, some teams use Mnemonics can lead to shallow pro-
)
Distributed by Bedford, Freeman & Worth Publishers. Not for redistribution.
and information-processing center, to which we will turn more protective gear and portable brain-imaging tools ( Canadian Press, 2018 . ) cessing in that students might be able to

next — and the corpus callosum, which connects the two define the term but not be able to apply
brain hemispheres (see Module 1.4c).
it in a novel context, something they will
®
Copyright © Bedford, Freeman & Worth Publishers.
Figure 1.4-11 be required to do on the AP exam.
Brain structures and their Corpus callosum:
functions Cerebral cortex:
axon fibers connecting the ultimate control and
two cerebral hemispheres information-processing
Right hemisphere center
Left hemisphere Thalamus:
relays messages between
lower brain centers
and cerebral cortex
Hypothalamus:
controls maintenance
functions such as eating;
helps govern endocrine
system; linked to emotion
and reward
Pituitary:
Amygdala: master endocrine gland
linked to
emotion Reticular formation:
helps control arousal
Pons:
helps coordinate movement
and control sleep
Hippocampus:
linked to Medulla:
controls heartbeat and
conscious breathing
memory
Spinal cord:
pathway for neural fibers
traveling to and from brain;
controls simple reflexes
Cerebellum:
coordinates voluntary
movement and balance,
Cerebral cortex Limbic system Brainstem and supports skill
learning and memory
The Brain: Brain Regions and Structures Module 1.4b 69
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The Brain: Brain Regions and Structures Module 1.4b 69

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