Hypothalamus
Area of the brain below the thalamus / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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The hypothalamus (pl.: hypothalami; from Ancient Greek ὑπό (hupó) 'under', and θάλαμος (thálamos) 'chamber') is a small part of the vertebrate brain that contains a number of nuclei with a variety of functions. One of the most important functions is to link the nervous system to the endocrine system via the pituitary gland. The hypothalamus is located below the thalamus and is part of the limbic system.[1] It forms the ventral part of the diencephalon. All vertebrate brains contain a hypothalamus.[2] In humans, it is about the size of an almond.[3]
Hypothalamus | |
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![]() Location of the human hypothalamus | |
![]() Location of the hypothalamus (cyan) in relation to the pituitary and to the rest of the brain | |
Details | |
Part of | Brain |
Identifiers | |
Latin | hypothalamus |
MeSH | D007031 |
NeuroLex ID | birnlex_734 |
TA98 | A14.1.08.401 A14.1.08.901 |
TA2 | 5714 |
FMA | 62008 |
Anatomical terms of neuroanatomy |
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/9/99/Wiktionary-logo-en-v2.svg/40px-Wiktionary-logo-en-v2.svg.png)
The hypothalamus has the function of regulating certain metabolic processes and other activities of the autonomic nervous system. It synthesizes and secretes certain neurohormones, called releasing hormones or hypothalamic hormones, and these in turn stimulate or inhibit the secretion of hormones from the pituitary gland. The hypothalamus controls body temperature, hunger, important aspects of parenting and maternal attachment behaviours, thirst,[4] fatigue, sleep, circadian rhythms, and is important in certain social behaviors, such as sexual and aggressive behaviors.[5][6]