Image from Rose, S. (1992) The Making of Memory. London: Bantam Press. p.125
Look! This is your hippocampus. Your hippocampus is where memory begins. Short term memories are formed in this sea-horse shaped organ and then reactivated there when you dream. An electrical storm in your hippocampus, say from an epileptic fit, results in amnesia. As you age, Alzheimer's first attacks your hippocampus, creating disorientation and memory loss. Nevertheless, the hippocampus is one of an elite subset of brain regions that are capable of generating new neurons throughout life.