The hippocampus is a small but complex brain structure that plays an important role in learning, memory, and spatial navigation. It is located in the medial temporal lobe and is part of the limbic system, which is involved in regulating emotions and other behaviors needed for survival. The hippocampus is responsible for converting short-term memory into long-term memory, shifting those memories into other parts of the brain for long-term potentiation and storage, and assisting in the retrieval of those memories when needed. It is also involved in spatial navigation, which is the ability to identify the position of our body relative to the objects around us.

The hippocampus is a plastic and vulnerable structure that can be damaged by a variety of stimuli, and hence is important clinically both diagnostically and therapeutically. It has connections to and from various parts of the brain, including the neocortex, and is the most extensively studied part of the brain for neurophysiology.

In summary, the hippocampus is responsible for the following functions:

• Learning and memory
• Spatial navigation
• Converting short-term memory into long-term memory
• Retrieving memories when needed
• Emotional regulation
• Integration of new information with previously learned information