Psychology Roots
502
Amygdala
No, this is not pronounced “ah-mig-DAH-la”, but rather, “ah-MIG-dah-la” (don’t ask me why I felt compelled to include the pronunciation!). The amygdala is actually 2 areas of the brain (not one) containing lots of neurons that influence anger, aggression, fear, and rage. Although there are other parts of the brain that influence these emotions, the amygdala may have the most influence. Early studies demonstrated that damaging these areas can turn very aggressive animals into docile, even fearful creatures.
