What does the hippocampus primarily help to form?

The hippocampus primarily plays a crucial role in the formation of new explicit long-term memories. This part of the brain is essential for processing and converting information from short-term memory into long-term declarative memory, which includes facts and events that can be consciously recalled.

Explicit memories are those that we can verbally articulate, such as remembering a specific episode from our childhood or recalling historical facts. The hippocampus is involved in the encoding and consolidation of these memories. When information is acquired, the hippocampus helps to organize and integrate it into the existing memory network, allowing it to be transferred to more permanent storage in areas of the cortex.

In contrast, other types of memory, such as implicit memories (which are not consciously accessible) and procedural memories (which involve skills or tasks), do not rely as heavily on the hippocampus for their formation. Thus, the correct answer accurately reflects the primary function of the hippocampus within the context of memory systems.