[Verse 1] Deep in temporal lobe's embrace A loop machine holds memory's place Entorhinal cortex guards the gate Where and what streams separate MEC maps the spatial scene LEC codes what things mean One door in and one door out That's what the system's all about [Chorus] Separate, complete, compare, repeat Hippocampal rhythm keeps the beat DG expands then CA3 stores CA1 checks what came before Theta weaves encode retrieve SWR replay makes cortex believe From cortical hem to GABA switch Development builds this neural niche [Verse 2] Dentate gyrus takes the flow Sparse codes help memories grow Few but strong detonator bolts Fire CA3 like lightning volts Recurrent nets with attractor states Partial cues the system relates Neuromodulation sets the gate Between separation's clean slate [Chorus] Separate, complete, compare, repeat Hippocampal rhythm keeps the beat DG expands then CA3 stores CA1 checks what came before Theta weaves encode retrieve SWR replay makes cortex believe From cortical hem to GABA switch Development builds this neural niche [Verse 3] CA1 neurons stand and judge Current input gets a nudge Against predictions from CA3 Novelty signals flow free Plateau potentials drive the change Place fields form across the range Back to cortex updates stream Completing learning's grand scheme [Verse 4] Sharp wave ripples tell the tale Past experience will not fail Offline replay sorts the day Consolidation's neural way Acetylcholine sets the mode Dopamine rewards the code Sleep spindles with SWR sync Building memories link by link [Bridge] Wnt signaling starts the dance Transcription factors advance Reelin builds the layered halls Cajal-Retzius guides through walls Ephrin gradients paint the map Semaphorins close the gap GDP waves before birth Shape synapses' future worth [Chorus] Separate, complete, compare, repeat Hippocampal rhythm keeps the beat DG expands then CA3 stores CA1 checks what came before Theta weaves encode retrieve SWR replay makes cortex believe From cortical hem to GABA switch Development builds this neural niche [Outro] Silent synapses wait their turn NMDA helps them learn GABA flips from plus to minus Experience refines the circuits Memory's machine complete at last Future built upon the past [Final Chorus] Separate, complete, compare, repeat Hippocampal rhythm keeps the beat DG expands then CA3 stores CA1 checks what came before Memory's loop forever flows That's how the hippocampus knows
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