The amygdala is often called the “aggression center” of the brain. There are two of them in one’s limbic system, and they are located on either side of the thalamus, at the end of the hippocampus, a little bit in front of the brain stem. When the amygdalas are stimulated, one feels anger, violence, fear, and anxiety. When the amygdalas are completely destroyed, a person has what is called Kluver-Bucy syndrome. The effects of this syndrome include hyperorality, hypersexuality, and disinhibited behavior (when a person doesn’t think through his or her actions). A person whose amygdala is destroyed also feels very mellow.
The amygdala receives input from all senses through the thalamus. The thalamus is a sensory relay station, through …show more content…
This part of the limbic system is very small, consisting of less than 1% of the brain, and is about the size of a kidney bean. The hypothalamus regulates our autonomic nervous system (also known as the ‘fight or flight’ response). It does this by regulating the release of hormones, the effects of which include control of heart rate, breathing, digestion, and blood pressure, among other things. The hypothalamus also controls the pituitary gland, which releases hormones that regulate growth and metabolism. The hypothalamus receives input from many different sources, so that it can control all of the things effectively. The hypothalamus receives input regarding hunger and blood pressure from the vagus nerve; skin temperature from the brain stem; light and dark from the optic nerve; and ion balance and blood temperature from itself. When it receives this information, the hypothalamus sends hormones to different parts of the body depending on what is happening. For example, if something frightening is happening, the hypothalamus can communicate with the amygdala through the ventral amygdolafugal pathway, and trigger the ‘fight or flight’ response. The hypothalamus’ ability to control so many parts of the human body from so much information makes it a vital part of not only maintaining homeostasis, but in how we act on our
The amygdala receives input from all senses through the thalamus. The thalamus is a sensory relay station, through …show more content…
This part of the limbic system is very small, consisting of less than 1% of the brain, and is about the size of a kidney bean. The hypothalamus regulates our autonomic nervous system (also known as the ‘fight or flight’ response). It does this by regulating the release of hormones, the effects of which include control of heart rate, breathing, digestion, and blood pressure, among other things. The hypothalamus also controls the pituitary gland, which releases hormones that regulate growth and metabolism. The hypothalamus receives input from many different sources, so that it can control all of the things effectively. The hypothalamus receives input regarding hunger and blood pressure from the vagus nerve; skin temperature from the brain stem; light and dark from the optic nerve; and ion balance and blood temperature from itself. When it receives this information, the hypothalamus sends hormones to different parts of the body depending on what is happening. For example, if something frightening is happening, the hypothalamus can communicate with the amygdala through the ventral amygdolafugal pathway, and trigger the ‘fight or flight’ response. The hypothalamus’ ability to control so many parts of the human body from so much information makes it a vital part of not only maintaining homeostasis, but in how we act on our