The amygdala is a complex structure adjacent to the hippocampus that is involved in processing emotions and fear-learning. It links the areas of the cortex that process "higher" cognitive information with hypothalamic and brainstem systems controlling "lower" metabolic responses, allowing the amygdala to coordinate the physiological responses based on cognitive information - the most well-known example being the fight-or-flight response. QuantumUniversity.com | Quantum University