The hippocampus is a major component of the brain, located deep within the temporal lobe. It belongs to the limbic system and plays essential roles in the consolidation of information from short-term memory to long-term memory, and in spatial memory that enables navigation. The hippocampus is one of the first regions to suffer damage in Alzheimer’s disease, leading to the memory loss and disorientation seen in early stages of the disease. Its unique, curved shape resembles that of a seahorse (from which it gets its name—’hippocampus’ in Latin means ‘seahorse’). This structure is highly involved in forming new memories and is also associated with learning and emotions.
