Amygdala in the brain. Cutaway computer illustration showing the location of the amygdala (purple) in the right hemisphere of a normal human brain. There are two amygdala (amygdalae) in the brain, one in each hemisphere. They are almond-shaped groups of nuclei located deep within the medial temporal lobes of the brain and are part of brain's limbic system, a primitive part of the brain involved in emotions, learning and the formation of memories. The amygdalae play a role in memory and emotional reaction - particularly the memory of those reactions.