Which part of the brain is strongly involved in the experience of fear and the fight or flight response?

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BlackTom AI · Accepted Answer

When considering which brain region is most strongly tied to fear and the fight-or-flight response, we need to recall the primary neural structures involved in threat processing and autonomic arousal.
Option 1: Pons. The pons is part of the brainstem that contributes to basic life-sustaining functions and some facial pathways, but it is not the central hub for fear processing or initiating fight-or-flight responses. It plays a more supporting role in arousal and basic autonomic control rather than the emotional appraisal of threat.
Option 2: Hippocampus. The hippocampus is crucial for forming and retrieving declarative memories and contextual information about experiences. While context can modulate fear responses (e.g., contextual fear conditioning), the hippocampus is not the primary generator of fear or the autonomic surge associated with fight-or-flight.
Option 3: Amygdala. The amygdala is the key structure repeatedly shown to be involved in the perception of threat, fear learning, and initiating autonomic and hormonal responses characteristic of fight or flight. It rapidly evaluates emotional salience and triggers downstream circuits that prepare the body for action.
Option 4: Cerebellum. The cerebellum is central to motor coordination, balance, and certain timing aspects of movements. Although it interacts with emotion in some circuits, it is not the principal driver of fear experiences or the fight-or-flight response.
In summary, while other areas contribute to memory, context, arousal, or motor coordination, the amygdala stands out as the core region that mediates fear and initiates the rapid physiological responses typical of fight or flight.

11399 SEM-1 2025 BRUCE ON-CAMPUS AND SEM-1 2025 BRUCE REALTIME Final Exam (Online S1) (Remotely Proctored)

Which part of the brain is strongly involved in the experience of fear and the fight or flight response?

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