amygdala

[ uh-mig-duh-luh ]

noun

, Anatomy.

, plural a·myg·da·lae [uh, -, mig, -d, uh, -lee].

1. an almond-shaped part, as a tonsil.
2. a ganglion of the limbic system adjoining the temporal lobe of the brain and involved in emotions of fear and aggression.

amygdala

/ əˈmɪɡdələ /

noun

1. anatomy an almond-shaped part, such as a tonsil or a lobe of the cerebellum

amygdala

/ ə-mĭg′də-lə /

, Plural amygdalae ə-mĭg′də-lē

1. An almond-shaped mass of gray matter in the front part of the temporal lobe of the cerebrum that is part of the limbic system and is involved in the processing and expression of emotions, especially anger and fear.

Word History and Origins

Origin of amygdala¹

before 950; < Medieval Latin: almond, tonsil, Latin: almond < Greek amygdálē; replacing Middle English amygdal, Old English amigdal almond < Latin amygdalon < Greek amýgdalon; almond

Word History and Origins

Origin of amygdala¹

C16: from Medieval Latin: almond

Example Sentences

My colleagues and I discovered that mixed emotions didn’t show unique, consistent patterns in deeper brain areas like the amygdala, which plays an important role in quick responses to emotionally important items.

From Salon

We took this finding to mean that regions such as the amygdala and insular cortex were processing positive and negative emotions as mutually exclusive.

From Salon

The key nodes of the network identified by the researchers were putamen, amygdala and claustrum located deep within the brain, and the connections between them.

From Science Daily

"These findings explain well-known features of stuttering, such as the motor difficulties in speech production and the significant variability in stuttering severity across emotional states. As major nuclei in the brain, the putamen regulates motor function and the amygdala regulates emotions. The claustrum, in turn, acts as a node for several brain networks and relays information between them," explains Joutsa.

From Science Daily

Typical acute symptoms of anti-NMDAR encephalitis include seizures, involuntary movements, hypersexuality, violent outbursts, and terrifying hallucinations caused by inflammation of the amygdala, the brain’s fear center.

From Science Magazine