What is the hippocampus?

Oh and thanks for remembering to visit me.

Memories...

Hi, I'm the Hippocampus and I keep hold of your memories. Whenever you have an emotional or interesting memory I store it away for later use. Memories can be triggered in many ways. They can be a smell, like freshly baked bread or cut grass or even rotten eggs! They can be the taste of lemonade of the feel of a pets fur or the scar where you bashed your leg.

If it's something your really interested in I'll store that away for later use too, like, where the power-ups are on your favourite computer game or what date certain kings and queens were around or even how to do maths. Yes, maths. Thing is, if it doesn't interest you..I won't store it, which is why tests can be difficult. Good thing is, that I'm making new memories all the time, so you can always find new ways to remember stuff.

this is where I live in the brain

I live just above the ear about 4cm in from the side of your head by the Temporal Lobe. My name comes from the Greek words for 'Hippo' which means 'horse' and 'Kampos' which actually means 'Sea Monster'!  Usually though due to my shape, I'm called Hippocampus because I am similar looking to a 'seahorse'. It doesn't look like it here I know, so you will have to take my word for it. After all, I'm not something that you would want to take out to have a look at. Why? Because if you did you would then have no memory of doing it!

more memories...

Take a look at this picture. Do any of these things bring back a memory? Have a really good look at the items and then we'll see what I have stored away for you to remember...

So, there you go. I am Hippocampus, I keep your memories safe.

Don't forget to check out the Journey To The Centre Of The Brain resource pack. It's HERE (and I'm on page 14).