What are the cerebral cortex, amygdala, hippocampus, hypothalamus?

-The cerebral cortex, also known as the cerebrum, is the largest portion of the brain, located right under the forehead and it is divided into two parts, a right and a left hemisphere. They in turn have a total of four lobes – the frontal, parietal, temporal and occipital lobes. The cerebral cortex controls movement, speech, memory and intelligence.

-The amygdala is an almond-shaped mass of nuclei (mass of cells) located deep within the temporal lobes of the brain. There are two amygdalae, one situated in each brain hemisphere. The amygdala is a limbic system structure that is involved in many of our emotions and motivations, particularly those that are related to survival. It is involved in the processing of emotions such as fear, anger, and pleasure. The amygdala is also responsible for determining what memories are stored and where the memories are stored in the brain. It is thought that this determination is based on how huge an emotional response an event evokes.

-Hippocampus, region of the brain that is associated primarily with memory.

-The hypothalamus is a small region of the brain. It’s located at the base of the brain, near the pituitary gland.