Friday, August 19, 2011

Amygdaloid nucleus - almond-shaped

The brain is a complex organ that contains several billion neurons (nerve cells) connected to each other by thousands of synapses (connections). In the adult, the brain on average weighs 1.5kg (approximately 2% of body weight). At rest, the brain receives about 15% of the body’s blood and it consumes about 20% of the body’s oxygen.
The amygdaloid nucleus originating from the Greek amydale (almond) eidos (like) is an almond-shaped group of nuclei (localized collection of neurons) within the brain that is associated with emotions, learning, memory, attention and perception.
Reference
Baxter MG, Murray EA: The amygdala and reward. Nat Rev Neurosci, 2002 3(7):563-73. Go to reference

Position of amygdaloid nucleus in brain

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