amygdala
/əˈmɪɡdələ
/noun (plural amygdalae /əˈmɪɡdəliː/) Anatomy
A roughly almond-shaped mass of grey matter inside each cerebral hemisphere, involved with the experiencing of emotions.Deep in the brain lies the amygdala, an almond-sized region that generates fear....
- The action of the amygdala in the limbic system functions as an alarm system, eliciting responses to cues in the present as if they were the original danger.
- The MRI scans were used to quantify total volume of the cerebrum, lateral ventricles, hippocampus and amygdala.
Origin
Late Middle English: via Latin from Greek amugdalē 'almond'.