What is the amygdala, and what is its purpose?
The amygdala is an almond shaped mass of nuclei located deep within the temporal lobes of the brain, medial to the hypothalamus and adjacent to the hippocampus. The main “purpose” or function of the amygdala is controling autonomic responses associated with fear, arousal, emotional responses, and hormonal secretions. The amygdala has long been linked with a person’s mental and emotional state. But thanks to scientific advances, researchers have recently grasped how important this 1-inch-long structure really is. Associated with a range of mental conditions from normalcy to depression to even autism, the amygdala has become the focal point of numerous research projects. http://biology.about.com/gi/dynamic/offsite.htm http://www.whalenlab.info/
