Episodic vs. Semantic Memory: Your Brain’s Diary and Dictionary

-

Ever wonder how you can remember your last birthday party and also know that Paris is the capital of France- even if you’ve never been there? That’s because your brain stores different types of memories in different ways. Welcome to the world of episodic and semantic memory!

                                                     Source- web.colby.edu cogblog

📖 What Is Episodic Memory?

Episodic memory is like your brain’s personal diary.
It holds memories of specific events from your life- things you experienced firsthand.

  • 🎉 Your best friend’s wedding

  • 🍰 The taste of your 18th birthday cake

  • 🏞️ That one time you got lost hiking

These memories are tied to a time and place- you can "mentally time travel" and re-experience them.

🧠 Key feature: “I remember when…”

📚 What Is Semantic Memory?

Semantic memory is more like your brain’s encyclopedia.
It stores general knowledge and facts- things you know, not things you remember experiencing.

  • 🌍 Paris is in France.

  • 🔢 2 + 2 = 4.

  • 🧬 DNA is the blueprint of life.

You don’t remember when or how you learned most of these things- you just know them.

🧠 Key feature: “I know that…”

🧠 Where in the Brain?

Both types of memory involve the medial temporal lobe, including the hippocampus, but with some distinctions:

  • Episodic memory relies heavily on the hippocampus and prefrontal cortex, especially for context (what happened, where, when).

  • Semantic memory is more spread out, with strong involvement of the anterior temporal lobe.

🔄 How Are They Connected?

They're not totally separate! Here's how they link:

  • Episodic memories can become semantic over time. For example, the first time you learned what a "giraffe" is might have been a specific zoo trip (episodic), but now you just know it’s a tall animal with spots (semantic).

  • People with amnesia may lose one type but keep the other. Someone might forget attending school (episodic) but still know math facts (semantic).

Semantic vs. Skill Memory: Knowing That vs. Knowing How

Ever wondered how you can recite the capital of Japan but also ride a bicycle without even thinking about it? Welcome to the difference between semantic memory (knowing facts) and procedural memory (knowing how to do things).

📘 Semantic Memory: The Brain’s Fact Book

  • Stores general knowledge, facts, concepts, and meanings.

  • Not tied to personal experience.

  • You can consciously declare what you know.

Examples:

  • “Water boils at 100°C.”

  • “Tokyo is the capital of Japan.”

  • “The heart pumps blood.”

🧠 "I know that..."

  • Type: Declarative (explicit)

  • Brain regions: Mainly temporal lobe, especially anterior temporal cortex

🛹 Procedural (Skill) Memory: The Brain’s Autopilot

  • Stores motor skills, habits, and routines.

  • Often formed through repetition and practice.

  • Operates outside of conscious awareness- you just do it.

Examples:

  • Riding a bicycle 🚴‍♀️

  • Typing on a keyboard ⌨️

  • Playing the piano 🎹

🧠 "I know how..."

  • Type: Non-declarative (implicit)

  • Brain regions: Mainly the basal ganglia and cerebellum

🧩 How They're Related

  • Learning to speak a language taps both systems:

    • Grammar rules = semantic

    • Pronunciation fluency = procedural

  • Damage to temporal lobes can impair facts but leave skills intact.

  • Damage to basal ganglia (like in Parkinson’s) can impair motor skills but spare general knowledge.

🧠Brain Tip:

You might forget the name of your 5th-grade science teacher (semantic), but you’ll still remember how to ride the bike you learned on in 5th grade (procedural). 🧠🚲

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

The Science of Modal Action Patterns

-
Image
  Have you ever noticed how some animals just seem to “know” what to do in certain situations, even without anyone teaching them? This is because of something called a modal action pattern (MAP)-  a natural behavior that kicks in automatically when triggered by something specific. Think of it like pressing a button that starts a pre-set series of actions. For example, let’s talk about geese. When a goose spots an egg outside its nest, it doesn’t hesitate or need instructions. Instead, it starts a step-by-step process of rolling the egg back into the nest using its beak. This behavior is automatic, consistent, and always happens in the same way. The key is that it only starts when the goose sees something that looks like an egg outside its nest- that’s the specific trigger. What makes MAPs so fascinating is that animals don’t need to practice or learn them. They are pre-programmed behaviors, built into the species over generations to help them survive and thrive. Whether it’s a...
Read more

Dishabituation: Your Brain’s Reset Button!

-
Image
                                                                                              Source- MedCat Imagine you're binge-watching your favorite show while snacking on chips. At first, every crunch is loud and clear, but after a while, you stop noticing the sound- you’re too absorbed in the drama. That’s habituation ! Now, suddenly, your mom bursts into the room yelling, "Why are you eating so loudly?!" 😤 The moment she says that, you become super aware of the crunching again! That’s dishabituation-  your brain had tuned out the sound, but a sudden interruption made you notice it again. What’s Happening? Dishabituation is your brai...
Read more

Habituation: The Science of Getting Used to Things

-
Image
Have you ever stopped hearing the ticking of a clock in your room? Or found yourself ignoring the sound of traffic outside your window? If so, you've experienced habituation . It’s a fascinating process that helps both humans and animals adapt to their environment by ignoring repetitive, non-threatening stimuli. What Is Habituation? Habituation is a simple form of learning where our brain decides, “This thing isn’t important,” and tunes it out. It’s like having a mental “ignore” button. Instead of reacting to every single sound, smell, or movement, we conserve energy and focus only on what matters. Everyday Examples of Habituation City Noise : If you move to a busy city, the honking cars and bustling streets might seem overwhelming at first. But after a few weeks, you hardly notice them. Perfume : When you spray perfume in the morning, it smells strong initially. After a while, you stop noticing it- but your friends can still smell it! Habituation in Animals Animals use habituation...
Read more