So you should know that different parts of our brain have different functions. At least, thats what scientists say. Well one part of the brain that has captured my attention is the Dentate Gyrus. It is a part of the hippocampus, where the hippocampus is major part of the brain that is associated with short term, long term, & spatial types of memory, etc. Basically the hippocampus is the part of the brain that is responsible for the formation of our memory, our ability to learn new things, the chest that holds our knowledge- so to speak.
The Dentate Gyrus is a part of the hippocampus that has specialized role in memory, specifically with the formation of new episodic memory, & spatial memory. It is considered by scientists that the Dentate Gyrus is the first step in processing information, from the entorhinal cortex, that is used in the production of episodic memories that we have. The health or quality of the Dentate Gyrus determines the exploratory nature of the person or mammal- specifically an unhealthy Dentate Gyrus leads less exploration given that the person or mammal can’t remember their way around a place.
It is found that the Dentate Gyrus has a extremely high rate of neurogenesis in adult rats. That makes sense to me, given that rats need to have excellent spatial memory in order to get around nooks, crannies, holes, and small spaces to get away from predators and find/return to food caches. Rats depend on that part of the brain for their survival.
