Memory is a complicated thing that does not happen in just one part of the brain.  Think of an apple, for example. You may recall the taste of different varieties of apples; or how to draw the perfect, red apple; or a trick for remembering how to spell the word apple; or the smell of apple crisp baking; or even the time you got stung by a yellow jacket while picking apples at an orchard.  Each one of these things involves a network of cellular connections—a complex dance among various parts of the brain.  You cannot just point to a spot on the scalp and assert that memory happens in the brain under than one location.

However, a part of the brain called the hippocampus plays a special role in memory formation, and researchers at MIT have recently discovered how brain cells called neurons are activated in the hippocampus region for memory formation and recall. In a fascinating leap for for brain science, they gained insight into how DNA is modified in stretches where there are no genes to help with memory formation.

The topic is complicated, so if you’re interested, it’s probably best to read the MIT summary here.  You may also find a summary of the research at Neuroscience News.  Both MIT and Neuroscience News have interesting images within their articles.  The study itself is published in Nature Neuroscience. One must pay to read the study, which you can do here.