How do I remember things?

Memory is the ability of the brain to memorize essential information for the future.

Memory is stored in the brain by collecting information and data which can be retrieved as and when needed in the future. Memory is required so that we can identify things from the past during our encounter with them in the future. It is also crucial for learning and improving.

It is not possible to live life without learning and improving. In fact, our ability to even speak and communicate is nothing but the application of all the information stored in our memory.

We have been learning it for such a long time that we no longer perceive it as an exercise of our memory. This is also the reason why we are more fluent in our mother tongue. We have learnt it from our birth and therefore it has been etched into our memory in a way nothing else has.

How do I remember things?

In the brain, memories are stored as chemical and electrical signals.

Nerve cells or neurons are the basic units for the transmission of impulses or signals. Information is stored at the core of these cells.

The memory of a particular thing is stored in a particular pattern.  This is nothing but multiple nerve cells joining together in a definite pattern. Each time you look for those memories, the same pattern will be recognized by your brain.

As there is a change in your memory, the pattern of synapses will also get changed. That is why when you learn something, you are not at your best. Instead, after a few trials and repetitions, you become better at it.  The change in you eventually leads to some changes in the pattern of synapses. So in the end the perfected pattern for you is stored in your brain.

Fun Facts

• Depression, the silent killer has a great effect on our remembering power.
• We tend to forget our memories in our childhood only.
• Memory is stored in the Hippocampus.

Related questions

Some related questions to this topic.

1. What are different types of memories?
2. Describe the nerve cell in detail.
3. Where is memory stored in human being?

Objective Quiz

1. Nerve cells are also known as ________.
   1. Neurons.
   2. Nephrons
   3. Both 1 and 2.
   4. None of the above.
2. In brain, memory are stored as ____________.
   1. Chemical and electrical signals.
   2. Chemical and mechanical signals.
   3. Mechanical and electrical signals.
   4. Chemical signals.
3. Change in memory can lead to change in the ________ of synapses.
   1. Pattern.
   2. Map.
   3. No change.
   4. All of the above.
4. Memory can be used for the ________ of data to look out for similar information from past.
   1. Retrieval.
   2. Complication
   3. Right.
   4. All of the above.

True Or False

1. Memory is the ability of the heart.
2. We can live without remembering things.
3. The language we speak is dependent on our memory.
4. Nerve cells are also called neurons.
5. Nerve cell is a part of the respiratory system.