Hippocampus

Hippocampus
An area buried deep in the forebrain that helps regulate emotion and memory.
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The complex, internally convoluted structure that forms the medial margin (“hem”) of the cortical mantle of the cerebral hemisphere, bordering the choroid fissure of the lateral ventricle, and composed of two gyri (Ammon horn and the dentate gyrus), together with their white matter, the alveus and fimbria hippocampi. In monkeys, apes, and humans the h. is confined to the temporal lobe by the massive development of the corpus callosum. Cytoarchitecturally a unique form of allocortex (archicortex), the h. forms part of the limbic system (formerly rhinencephalon). Its major afferent connections are with the entorhinal area of the parahippocampal gyrus, and transparent septum; by way of the fornix it projects to the septum, anterior nucleus of the thalamus, and mamillary body. SYN: h. major, major h.. [G. hippocampos, seahorse]
- h. major SYN: h..
- major h. SYN: h..
- h. minor SYN: calcarine spur.
- minor h. SYN: calcarine spur.

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hip·po·cam·pus .hip-ə-'kam-pəs n, pl -pi -.pī, -(.)pē a curved elongated ridge that is an important part of the limbic system, extends over the floor of the descending horn of each lateral ventricle of the brain, consists of gray matter covered on the ventricular surface with white matter, and is involved in forming, storing, and processing memory see pes hippocampi

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n.
a swelling in the floor of the lateral ventricle of the brain. It contains complex foldings of cortical tissue and is involved, with other connections of the hippocampal formation, in the workings of the limbic system.
hippocampal adj.

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hip·po·cam·pus (hip″o-kamґpəs) [Gr. hippokampos sea horse] [TA] a convoluted elevation of gray matter extending the entire length of the floor of the temporal horn of the lateral ventricle; it is part of the limbic system and plays major roles in short term memory and spatial navigation. Official anatomical terminology and many authorities use the term to denote the entire structure including the hippocampus proper, the dentate gyrus, and the subicular complex (presubiculum, parasubiculum, and subiculum), but it can also be used more restrictively, most often denoting the hippocampus proper, in which case the entire structure may be called the hippocampal formation. hippocampal adj

Hippocampus in a dissection of the right lateral ventricle.

Schematic diagram of the hippocampal formation showing the disposition of the various cell fields. CA1–4 denotes a classification scheme for subdividing the cornu region into a series of radially disposed fields.


Medical dictionary. 2011.

Look at other dictionaries:

  • Hippocampus — Hip po*cam pus, n. [L., the sea horse, Gr. ? a hippocampus (in senses 1 and 2); i ppos horse + ? to bend.] 1. (Class. Myth.) A fabulous monster, with the head and fore quarters of a horse joined to the tail of a dolphin or other fish… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • hippocampus — c.1600, a kind of sea monster, part horse and part dolphin or fish (they are often pictured pulling Neptune s chariot), from L.L. hippocampus, from Gk. hippokampos, from hippos “horse” + kampos “a sea monster,” perhaps related to kampe… …   Etymology dictionary

  • hippocampus — [hip΄ō kam′pəs] n. pl. hippocampi [hip΄ō kam′pī] [L, sea horse < Gr hippokampos, hippocampus < hippos (see HIPPO ) + kampos, sea monster] 1. Gr. & Rom. Myth. a sea monster with the head and forequarters of a horse and the tail of a dolphin… …   English World dictionary

  • Hippocampus — Hippocampus, 1) fabelhaftes Seethier mit roßähnlichem Kopfe u. gebogenem Fischschwanze, auf welchem die Künstler die Seegötter fahrend darstellten; bald tritt er mit zwei Roßhufen das Meer, bald schwimmt er mit breiten, gespaltenen,… …   Pierer's Universal-Lexikon

  • Hippocampus — Hippocampus, das Seepferdchen …   Meyers Großes Konversations-Lexikon

  • Hippocampus — For other uses, see Hippocampus (disambiguation). Brain: Hippocampus The hippocampus is located in the medial temporal lobe of the brain. In this lateral view of the human brain, the frontal lobe is at le …   Wikipedia

  • Hippocampus — Hippocampe (poisson) Pour les articles homonymes, voir hippocampe …   Wikipédia en Français

  • Hippocampus — Este artículo o sección necesita referencias que aparezcan en una publicación acreditada, como revistas especializadas, monografías, prensa diaria o páginas de Internet fidedignas. Puedes añadirlas así o avisar al autor p …   Wikipedia Español

  • Hippocampus — Der Hippocampus (Plural Hippocampi) ist ein Bestandteil des Gehirns und zählt zu den evolutionär ältesten Strukturen des Gehirns. Er befindet sich im Temporallappen und ist eine zentrale Schaltstation des limbischen Systems. Es gibt einen… …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • hippocampus — Area of mammalian brain, and an important preparation for the study of neuronal plasticity. The hippocampus has been known since the 1950s to be important for long term memory storage in humans and other mammals; it is essential for initial… …   Dictionary of molecular biology

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