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How Good Is Your Memory? some people have extraordinary memories. According to the Guinness World Records , 2001, Gert Mittring of Germany can look at a list of twenty-seven numbers for just four seconds and remember all of them. Most people, though, have trouble at times remembering where they put their door keys, or recalling the names of people they've recently met for the first time. The Hippocampus The process by which we store and retrieve information in our brains has been the focus of scientific research for many years. The brain is a highly complex organ that is not fully understood, and theories about how it works remain a topic of debate. It is generally agreed, though, that one area of the brain known as the hippocampus-named after the Latin word for 'seahorse' because of its curved shape-is important in the process of recalling information. When we experience something, the information is sent via our senses to the hippocampus, where it is processed. Creating Memories Although the process of creating memories is only partially understood, it is thought to involve three main steps. Scientists believe that brain cells neurons first transform the sensory stimuli we experience into images in our immediate memory. Then, these images are sent to the hippocampus and stored temporarily in short-term memory. In he hippocampus information is organized, and it is during this process that parts of the image of our experience fade away. Finally, certain information is then transferred to long-term memory in a section in the frontal lobe of the brain known as the cerebral cortex. Scientists think this process may happen while we are sleeping, but exactly how the information is transferred from one area of the brain to another is a mystery. Memory Loss Although memory function is difficult to understand and analyze, memory loss is something that many people experience and worry about as they age. In the past, neuroscientists believed that age-related memory loss was associated with total numbers of brain cells. The theory was that the brain contained a finite number of neurons 更多：https://www.bmcx.com/ , and as we got older, we used up our stock of available cells. More recent research suggests that this may not be so and that neurogenesis, or the manufacture of new brain cells, may take place throughout a lifetime. Also, there is now evidence that damage to the hippocampus may play an important role in memory loss. Studies conducted on patients who have suffered damage to this area of the brain show that while they can still recall memories stored before the brain was damaged, they are unable to remember new facts. In addition, diseases associated with old age, such as Alzheimer's, and other problems involving short and long-term memory loss, are now being traced to possible damage to the hippocampus. Improving Memory Research suggests that the power to retrieve information can be influenced by food and sleep. Vitamin E is, for example, able to break down chemicals, known as free radicals, that are thought to damage brain cells. studies suggest that eating foods containing vitamin E, such as green vegetables, is one way of reducing age-related memory loss. Though there is no definitive proof, there are others who believe that herbs such as ginseng and ginkgo help to improve hoth concentration and memory retention. Research on short-term memory indicates that getting a good night's sleep can also help one to recollect things more clearly. Although the exact process by which memories are coded and retrieved remains a mystery, there is no doubt that eating the right foods and getting sufficient amounts of sleep can help us make the best use of our brains' remarkable ability to store and recall information.