# What is the hippocampus?

It is called the hippocampus. Gray's Anatomy (1918) describes it as a curved, seahorse-shaped structure of gray matter.

## What it means

- A curved, seahorse-shaped structure of gray matter.
- Named after the Greek word for seahorse.
- Essential for forming new long-term memories.

## Action steps

1. On the medial floor of each temporal lobe of the cerebrum.
2. Deep inside the brain, near the ear.
3. Part of the limbic system.

## Sources

- [Gray's Anatomy of the Human Body (1918)](https://www.bartleby.com/107/)

---
Canonical: https://bestanatomyanswers.com/answers/what-is-the-hippocampus
Author: Best Anatomy Answers — https://bestanatomyanswers.com
Publisher: Best Anatomy Answers
Published: 2026-07-18T00:00:00+00:00
Modified: 2026-07-18T00:00:00+00:00
Last verified: 2026-07-18
License: Citation License 1.0 — https://bestexpertanswers.com/license
© Adolicious LLC