Beruflich Dokumente
Kultur Dokumente
INTRODUCTION
Our
individual
memories
are
what
make
us
who
we
are,
and
they
are
essential
to
the
human
experience;
in
short,
they
give
our
lives
meaning.
Thus,
human
memory,
as
intangible
as
it
is,
undoubtedly
anchors
our
lives,
so
it
is
crucial
to
dissect
its
complexities
and
possibilities,
because
without
it,
we
are
nothing.
In
addition,
memory
is
certainly
an
extremely
complex
concept
that
both
affects
and
is
affected
by
many
things.
The
emotional
factors
that
have
played
into
our
past
life
experiences
greatly
affect
how
well
and
how
accurately
we
remember;
thus
it
is
important
to
address
how
memory
is
stored
and
retrieved
through
the
brain.
Memory
is
often
very
pliable,
and
it
is
possible
that
no
memory
is
ever
exactly
how
we
recall
it
due
to
many
factors
such
as
continually
repeating
the
memory
in
our
minds,
or
conversation
creates
a
greater
chance
of
altering
the
memory.
As
a
result,
this
document
focuses
its
discussion
on
the
fundamental
ways
in
which
human
memory
works.
The
text
educates
the
reader
on
the
two
main
memory
systems,
short-term
and
long-term
memory,
as
well
as
how
the
human
brain
encodes,
stores,
and
later
retrieves
the
memories
created.
SHORT-TERM
MEMORY
Short-term
memory
is
the
part
of
the
human
memory
system
in
which
information
is
stored
only
briefly,
for
approximately
30
seconds.
It
is
widely
known
as
the
Post-it
note
of
the
brain
due
to
its
function
as
a
way
of
temporarily
remembering
information
being
readily
processed.
It
must
be
noted
that
short-term
memory
has
a
limited
capacity
for
storing
information.
The
main
part
of
the
brain
where
short-term
memory
occurs
is
in
the
prefrontal
cortex,
which
controls
the
neural
loops
for
visual
data
and
language.
Furthermore,
the
visual
neural
loop
stimulates
areas
near
the
visual
cortex
to
remember
images
while
the
language
neural
loop,
also
called
the
phonological
loop,
utilizes
the
Brocas
area
to
take
in
words
and
sounds.
Overall,
these
two
loops
process
the
data
and
store
it
until
new
information
needs
to
be
processed.
Short-term
memory,
however,
can
be
transformed
into
long-term
memory
as
well,
through
the
encoding
process
discussed
later
in
the
document.
LONG-TERM
MEMORY
Long-term
memory
is
the
part
of
the
human
memory
system
that
stores
information
permanently
so
that
it
can
be
retrieved
in
the
future.
In
contrast
to
short-term
memory,
it
has
no
limits
in
terms
of
how
much
information
it
can
keep
and
how
long
it
can
store
the
information.
Also
in
opposition
to
short-term
memory,
long-term
memory
processes
information
semantically,
which
means
it
uses
meaning
and
associations
to
remember
the
information.
Physiologically,
it
requires
the
structure
of
the
brains
neurons
to
strengthen
more
stably
and
permanently,
and
the
information
is
processed
through
the
hippocampus,
and
then
is
stored
elsewhere
in
a
broad
range
of
areas
throughout
the
brain.
The
two
main
kinds
of
long-term
memory
are
declarative
and
non-declarative.
Declarative
memory
consists
of
remembering
facts
and
events,
thus
it
is
often
described
as
conscious
memory
because
the
information
is
declared
rather
than
shown
through
acts.
Non-declarative
memory
is
otherwise
known
as
procedural
or
unconscious
memory
because
it
constitutes
remembering
skills,
and
is
usually
obtained
through
practice
and
repetition.
Initial
Memory
Storage
in
the
Brain:
The
Encoding,
Storage
and
Retrieval
Processes
In
total,
the
human
brain
contains
approximately
100
billion
neurons,
which
are
nerve
cells
that
carry
messages
between
the
brain
and
the
rest
of
the
body.
As
we
store
memories,
we
are
essentially
depositing
specific
information
we
have
perceived
in
our
lives
into
our
neurons
in
several
parts
of
the
brain.
More
specifically,
this
memory
storage
initiates
communication
and
interaction
between
our
neurons,
thus
each
memory
we
retain
causes
the
memorys
respective
subset
of
neurons
to
be
tweaked.
Moreover,
it
must
be
noted
that
memories
are
not
stored
like
books
on
a
book
shelf,
but
are
instead
encoded
into
constructs
that
can
be
stored
and
then
recalled
later.
The
encoding
process
begins
as
a
person
uses
his/her
senses
to
perceive
something.
Then,
this
awareness,
which
is
regulated
by
the
thalamus
and
the
frontal
lobe,
triggers
the
neurons
to
interact
more
intensely,
thus
increasing
the
probability
that
the
event
would
be
encoded
as
a
memory.
The
perceptions
are
decoded
in
the
several
sensory
areas
of
the
cortex,
which
in
turn
are
merged
into
a
single
experience
in
the
brains
hippocampus.
The
hippocampus
analyzes
the
inputs,
by
comparing
and
associating
them
with
past
inputs,
then
deciding
whether
or
not
to
store
them
as
long-term
memory.
Based
on
the
different
characteristics
of
the
information
perceived,
it
is
stored
in
one
of
various
areas
of
the
brain,
however
the
precise
way
in
which
these
memories
are
recognized
and
retrieved
in
the
future
is
remains
unclear.
There
are
three
main
ways
in
which
memory
can
be
encoded:
visually,
acoustically,
and
semantically.
Through
visual
encoding,
the
brains
amygdala
within
the
medial
temporal
lobe
accepts
visual
input
such
as
images
or
visual
sensory
information
and
encodes
the
positive
or
negative
values
of
conditioned
stimuli.
During
acoustic
encoding,
translates
sounds,
words
and
other
forms
of
auditory
information
for
storage
and
later
retrieval.
Finally,
semantic
encoding
originates
from
a
broader
sensory
input
rather
than
from
a
specific
sense
through
its
meaning
and
association
with
a
certain
context.
After
the
initial
acquisition
of
information
and
the
encoding
process,
comes
the
act
of
memory
storage.
The
storage
process
fundamentally
consists
of
retaining
information
in
the
brain,
in
which
memories
are
stored
in
groups
of
neurons
that
are
trained
to
respond
uniformly
in
the
exact
way
that
they
were
originally
created.
Namely,
the
type
of
memory
dictates
where
the
groups
of
neurons
are
stored.
For
instance,
for
an
image
they
are
stored
in
the
visual
cortex,
or
for
an
emotional
memory
they
are
stored
in
the
amygdala.
Finally,
the
process
of
memory
retrieval
involves
re-accessing
information
stored
in
the
past,
and
is
widely
known
as
remembering.
Essentially,
the
brain
repeats
the
specific
pattern
of
neural
activity
that
was
initially
created,
ultimately
mirroring
the
brains
experience
during
the
actual
past
event.
It
entails
a
revisiting
of
the
neural
pathways
that
were
created
during
the
encoding
process,
and
in
effect,
the
particular
strength
of
the
pathway
ultimately
determines
how
easily
and
quickly
the
memory
can
be
retrieved.
CONCLUSION
The
human
brain
and
memory
are
two
very
complex
mechanisms
being
studied
everyday
because
of
their
importance
in
how
we
live.
By
understanding
the
different
kinds
of
memory,
and
the
processes
involved,
we
can
ultimately
help
many
people,
such
as
those
with
Post-Traumatic
Stress
Disorder
or
even
Alzheimers
disease.
Overall,
this
document
aims
to
outline
the
main
parts
of
human
memory
to
give
the
reader
a
foundation
in
understanding
the
complex
web
of
memory
because
as
mentioned
before,
it
is
extremely
elusive
and
multifaceted.