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

This change, in turn, was driven by endocannabinoids that were released in the amygdala in response to corticosterone.

From Science Daily

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

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

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

While mixed selectivity has the backing of copious evidence -- it has been observed across the cortex and in other brain areas such as the hippocampus and amygdala -- there are still open questions.

From Science Daily