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The Limbic System
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The Limbic System
• The limbic system includes
nuclei and tracts along the
borders between the cerebrum
and the diencephalon
• It contains structures that are
located along the outskirts of
both sections
• Instead of a simple anatomical
structure, this is actually a
grouping of functioning
components
The Limbic System
• The limbic system has several
job responsibilities
• This is because it contains many
different structures that branch
across many different systems
• There are many different
components that all function
together to help the brain
process
The Limbic System
• The limbic system…
• 1) Helping to establish emotional
states
• 2) Linking the conscious,
intellectual functions with the
unconscious, autonomic
functions
• 3) Facilitating memory storage
and retrieval
Video
• https://www.youtube.com/watc
h?v=LNs9ruzoTmI
Structures of the Limbic System
• The limbic system contains many
different structures
• There are several different
structures that act within the
limbic system that we already
know about
• These include the
hypothalamus, parts of the
thalamus and the reticular
formation
Structures of the Limbic System
• Other structures of the limbic
system tie together the
functions of all systems
• The amygdaloid body
(commonly refereed to as the
amygdala) is the link between
the cerebrum, various sensory
systems and the limbic system
• It plays a role in linking
memories to emotions,
regulating heart rate and the
“fight or flight” response
Structures of the Limbic System
• The hippocampus is one of the
main structures involved in the
storage and formations of
memory
• It is located inferior to the lateral
ventricles
• It looked like a mythical seahorse
named “hippocampus”
Demo
• http://faculty.washington.edu/c
hudler/stm0.html
• https://faculty.washington.edu/c
hudler/puzmatch.html
Structures of the Limbic System
• The mamillary bodies are two
structures that are close to the
hypothalamus
• The mamillary bodies help to
control eating urges and reflexes
such as licking, chewing and
swallowing
• They also help process auditory
input
Structures of the Limbic System
• The fornix is a small tract of white
matter that connects the
hippocampus and the
hypothalamus
• A few strands of the fornix also
connect those structures to the
mamillary bodies
• While its exact function is still
unclear, several tests have been
performed on it
• When the fornix is severed the
patient can have memory loss and
have trouble forming memories