ALPHABETICAL BRAIN™ VOCABULARY DETAILS about LIMBIC SYSTEM: Brain Flash Card #13 WHAT IS YOUR LIMBIC SYSTEM AND WHY IS IT SO IMPORTANT? What is the purpose and function of your LIMBIC SYSTEM? The purpose of your limbic system is to produce all of the emotional feelings that your brain and body need to survive and thrive in a complicated world. It preserves your memories of the salient experiences and decisions that have saved your life or worked well for you in the past. Also your limbic system can preserve a lot of useless, irrelevant memories of social habits and mindsets that were learned in your childhood and youth. The latest brain research has demonstrated that the human brain's prefrontal cortex (executive decision maker) does not develop fully until the mid-20s and early 30s so a person's reasoning ability cannot as easily and fully control strong emotions until then. Also your limbic system consists of eight major parts, which provide more than eight major functions, directly involved in your survival activities and all of your thoughts and feelings. In addition, since your hippocampus has several types of long-term memory resources, its healthy functioning is essential for your perception of having a persistent authentic self. When you use scientific humanism to construct your self-image, you are the real deal! Finally, the vital parts of your limbic system can produce and stimulate many kinds of neurotransmitters and hormones, even in other parts of your body. EIGHT MAJOR PARTS OF YOUR LIMBIC SYSTEM NUMBERED: [1] OLFACTORY BULBS (these two bulbs, located on each side of your limbic system complex, are connected to your two nostrils and sense odors) = [2] HYPOTHALAMUS (although it consists of one organ structure, it is divided into two parts with two separate functions) = [3] PITUITARY GLAND (this single organ structure is known as the "master gland" since it contols the release of many other neurotransmitters and hormones) = [4] AMYGDALA GLANDS (these glands consists of two parts linked together in the limbic system complex and activate strong anxiety, fear and even pleasure emotions) = [5] PINEAL GLANDS (these glands are on both sides of your limbic system complex and regulate sleep behavior since they control your circadian clock) = [6] THALAMUS (this single brain structure in your limbic system complex connects your brainstem to the rest of your brain and is known as the "gateway" to your brainstem) = [7] HIPPOCAMPUS (this major structure is on both sides of your limbic system complex and deals primarily with long-term memory storage) = [8] BASAL GANGLIA (this structure, which is located on the bottom of both sides of your limbic system complex, is divided into several sections with different essential functions) = INSTANTLY GO TO: FACT CHECKER about LIMBIC SYSTEM #13 OR RETURN TO: LIMBIC SYSTEM: BRAIN FLASH CARD #13 OR RETURN TO: LIST OF 15 FREE BRAIN FLASH CARDS