Hippocampus anatomy

Hippocampus anatomy describes the physical aspects and properties of the hippocampus, a neural structure in the medial temporal lobe of each cerebral hemisphere of the brain. It has a distinctive, curved shape that has been likened to the sea-horse creature of Greek mythology, and the ram's horns of Amun in Egyptian mythology. The general layout holds across the full range of mammals, although the details vary. For example, in the rat, the two hippocampi look similar to a pair of bananas, joined at the stems. In humans and other primates, the portion of the hippocampus near the base of the temporal lobe is much broader than the part at the top. Due to the three-dimensional curvature of the hippocampus, two-dimensional sections are commonly presented. Neuroimaging can show a number of different shapes, depending on the angle and location of the cut.

Cortical parts from the temporal lobe, parietal lobe, and the frontal lobe that surround the corpus callosum were treated as a surrounding border at the medial faces of the hemispheres where the brainstem is attached to the midbrain. The border (Latin limbus = border) was named the limbic lobe by Paul Broca. The limbic lobe is the main part of the limbic system. The hippocampus lines the posterior edge of the lobe. Other limbic structures include the cingulate cortex, the olfactory cortex, and the amygdala.