Answer
Emotion is difficult to define accurately but the concept includes both feelings, and memories. Neurological studies have found that emotions are produced by interactions between the prefrontal cortex and the diencephalon. The prefrontal cortex is believed to exercise control over judgement, intent and appropriate expression of what we feel.. The feelings of emotions themselves arise from deep brain regions such as the hypothalamus and the amygdala. nuclei in these structures when stimulated engender fear or the desire for love.
The amygdala is part of the limbic system. It receive inputs from the general senses as well as from the special senses of vision, taste hearing and smell. It integrates these inputs and mediates emotional responses to such things as disgusting odor, a foul taste, a physical threat, pleasant music or a stomach ache. In addition, the amygdala and the hypothalamus are also concerned with regulating food intake, sexual behavior, and getting us to pay attention to strange, new stimuli.
Work Step by Step
Output from the amygdala goes in two directions;
1. One set goes to thalamus and lower brainstem . This influences somatic and visceral motor systems to produce emotional responses. These emotional responses may cause increases in blood pressure, and heart rate , and respiratory rate. Other signs are vomiting, and one's hairs standing on end.
2.. The other amygdala output goes to the prefrontal cortex area that mediate conscious control of, and expression of emotions --ability to express love, control anger, and overcome fear..
Lesions in the hypothalamus result in in blunted or exaggerated expressions of anger, fear, pleasure, pain, love, sexuality, parental affection, memory, as well as abnormalities in learning, memory and motivation. When the amygdala is damaged the sense of fear may disappear altogether
Other lesion studies show that the median forebrain bundle of the hypothalamus is the neural center that controls responses to reward and punishments.
