Ever since he had a motorcycle accident, Cornelius has been unable to form new memories. Cornelius has most likely damaged his a. hypothalamus b. amygdala c. hippocampus d. thalamus

First, we need to understand the main functions of each brain part mentioned in the exercise: a. Hypothalamus: This part of the brain is involved in regulating various body functions like body temperature, hunger, and mood. b. Amygdala: This part of the brain is involved in processing emotions, particularly fear and anger. c. Hippocampus: This part of the brain is involved in the formation of new memories and spatial navigation. d. Thalamus: This part of the brain acts as a relay station, sending information from sensory organs to the appropriate areas of the brain for processing. By understanding these functions, we can narrow down the specific brain part that could be affected by Cornelius's inability to form new memories.

From the definitions and functions mentioned above, we can see that the following parts are not directly related to the formation of new memories: a. Hypothalamus - It is more related to body functions and does not seem to have a direct link to memory formation. b. Amygdala - It is mainly involved in processing emotions, not specifically related to memory formation. d. Thalamus - It acts as a relay station, but it is not responsible for forming new memories.

After eliminating the irrelevant options, we are left with one option: c. Hippocampus - It plays a crucial role in forming new memories and spatial navigation. Since the hippocampus is directly related to memory formation, it is the most likely part of the brain that has been damaged, causing Cornelius's inability to form new memories after the accident. So, the correct answer is: c. hippocampus