amygdala
noun
amyg·da·la
| \ ə-ˈmig-də-lə
\
\
plural amygdalae\ ə-ˈmig-də-ˌlē
, -ˌlī \
, -ˌlī \
Definition of amygdala
: the one of the four basal ganglia in each cerebral hemisphere that is part of the limbic system and consists of an almond-shaped mass of gray matter in the anterior extremity of the temporal lobe
— called also amygdaloid nucleus
Examples of amygdala in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
For example, conservatives tend to have a larger amygdala, the fear center of the brain, and have stronger physiological reactions to unpleasant photos or sounds. — Bill Sullivan, National Geographic, "Why we like what we like: A scientist’s surprising findings," 6 Aug. 2019 The tumor, which turned out to be cancerous, was in my left temporal lobe, specifically the hippocampus and amygdala. — Health.com, "For 6 Years, Doctors Kept Telling Me I Had PMS—but It Turned Out to Be Brain Cancer," 31 July 2019 Researchers have determined the areas of the human brain responsible for our aversion to robots: the amygdala and the prefrontal cortex. — Daisy Hernandez, Popular Mechanics, "The Scientific Reason Some of Us Find Robots Creepy As Hell," 17 July 2019 When a stressor occurs, the amygdala region perceives the threat and sends a distress signal to the hypothalamus, which acts like a command center. — Bridget Alex, Discover Magazine, "What Science Says About Why You're Stressed and How to Cope," 21 June 2019 Your amygdala appears to kickstart this survival mechanism, better known as your fight-or-flight response. — Natasha Lavender, SELF, "This Is the Difference Between Feeling Anxious and Having an Anxiety Disorder," 16 May 2019 Anxiety is physiological, influenced by a delicate balance of hormones and the tug of war between the amygdala and the prefrontal cortex. — Caroline Foran, Glamour, "No, You Don’t Have to ‘Justify’ Your Anxiety," 27 Mar. 2019 The olfactory bulb sends information to the amygdala, which is involved with experiencing emotions, and the hippocampus, the memory center. — April Long, Marie Claire, "Aromatherapy Perfumes: Do They Really Work?," 20 Feb. 2019 Hormones released in the amygdala itself also have been shown to affect bravery. — Rowan Hooper, WSJ, "The Biology of Bravery—and Fear," 19 Oct. 2018These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'amygdala.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
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More Definitions for amygdala
amygdala
noun
amyg·da·la
| \ ə-ˈmig-də-lə
\
\
plural amygdalae\ -ˌlē
, -ˌlī
\
, -ˌlī
\
Medical Definition of amygdala
: the one of the four basal ganglia in each cerebral hemisphere that is part of the limbic system and consists of an almond-shaped mass of gray matter in the roof of the lateral ventricle
— called also amygdaloid body, amygdaloid nucleus
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