Emotions and the Brain: What is the limbic system?

The limbic system is the term for various parts of the brain involved in emotions such as fear, aggression, and attraction, and behaviors related to these emotions, as well as memory, learning, and senses. The four important parts of the limbic system are the amygdala, the hippocampus, the hypothalamus, and the thalamus. The olfactory system and the thalamus. For most senses such as touch and sight, sensory neurons make their first stop at the thalamus and then make their way to other parts of the brain. But, for the sense of smell, the olfactory neurons from the nose make their first stop at the olfactory bulb in the brain. There is some evidence (sources included in the references) that from the olfactory cortex, neurons make their way to the thalamus (the mediothamalic nuclei) for higher sensory processing.