amygdala
noun
\
-ˌlī
\
Definition of amygdala
: the one of the four basal ganglia in each cerebral hemisphere that is part of the limbic system and consists of an almond-shaped mass of gray matter in the anterior extremity of the temporal lobe
— called also
amygdaloid nucleus
Examples of amygdala in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Indeed, taking the amygdala entirely out of the picture can virtually eliminate fear. — Rowan Hooper, WSJ, "The Biology of Bravery—and Fear," 19 Oct. 2018 People who are prone to procrastination have a larger amygdala, which deals with emotions and have a harder time turning emotional information into action. — Fox News, "Kavanaugh grilled on cases during confirmation hearing," 6 Sep. 2018 Trust your instincts, your natural, innate, amygdala and reptilian-brained instincts, thousands of years old, that respond without thinking to the stress, threat, or danger intrinsically felt by all animals. — Polo Tate, Marie Claire, "Sexual Assault in the Military: One Woman's True Story," 8 Aug. 2018 The amygdala, a subcortical brain structure that responds to threat, can become hijacked: Children who experienced parental deprivation show amygdala hyperactivity, meaning the brain is more likely to signal danger even when there is none. — Dylan Gee, Vox, "I study kids who were separated from their parents. The trauma could change their brains forever.," 20 June 2018 Studies of the brains of children raised in Romanian orphanages with ten-to-one infant-adult ratios found abnormalities in the prefrontal cortex and amygdala. — Katherine Reynolds Lewis, The Cut, "Can Scientists Tell Me If I’m a Good Mom?," 17 Apr. 2018 The amygdala, a part of the brain in charge of emotional responses, becomes more active and can overrule the prefrontal cortex, which is in charge of nuanced cognitive functions such as complex decision-making. — William Wan And Amy Ellis Nutt, Washington Post, "Why didn't the officer rush into Florida's Parkland school mass shooting?," 23 Feb. 2018 Connections with the prefrontal cortex, which are essential for quieting the amygdala, also undergo altered development following parental deprivation. — Dylan Gee, Vox, "I study kids who were separated from their parents. The trauma could change their brains forever.," 20 June 2018 And without it, the parts of the brain that deal with attachment and fear - the amygdala and hippocampus - develop differently. — William Wan, BostonGlobe.com, "What separation from parents does to children: ‘The effect is catastrophic’," 19 June 2018These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'amygdala.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
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More Definitions for amygdala
amygdala
noun
\
-ˌlī
\
Medical Definition of amygdala
: the one of the four basal ganglia in each cerebral hemisphere that is part of the limbic system and consists of an almond-shaped mass of gray matter in the roof of the lateral ventricle
— called also
amygdaloid body, amygdaloid nucleus
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