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Why is the hippocampus named after a seahorse?
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hippocampus
Learn about Henry Molaison (better known as “patient H.M.”), whose short-term memory loss following a lobotomy helped researchers to understand how brain structures are related to brain function.
The hippocampus is named after the sea horse because its physical shape resembles that of the animal.1
The term is derived from the Greek word hippokampos, which combines hippos (meaning "horse") and kampos (meaning "sea monster").12