How are memories saved in the brain?
In: Biology
The truth is we don’t really know. The leading theory at the moment is that memories are the product of well-traversed neural pathways, but to explain more will require a bit of background.
In your brain are neurons, and a whole bunch of them at that. Neurons hold data, often specialized (one neuron may hold the smell of grass, for example, while another might hold an image of Kentucky blue), and communicate with other neurons via electrochemical signals. When you make a memory, linkages between neurons are created or strengthened, thus forming a memory pipeline. When you recall a memory, you take a trip down memory lane, so to speak, by reinitializing that pipeline. Memories, therefore, are collections of tiny events integrating into a whole – kind of like an impressionist painting. There are trillions of neuron connections, each representing some form of ‘memory.’ These can range from your ability to play guitar, for example, to your memory of your last birthday party.
In that way, memories are recreated anew every time you remember. Forgetting operates in much the same way – unused pathways are cleaned up and memories become weaker until forgotten (some people, such as savants, lack these mechanisms to a greater degree). Because of this re-creation, memories are subject to tampering or alteration (see the famous Loftus studies).
I hope that answers your question, sorry if I went off on a tangent 🙂
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