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In the anatomy of mammals, the
hypothalamus is a region of the brain located below the thalamus, forming the major portion of the ventral region of the diencephalon and functioning to regulate
certain metabolic processes and other autonomic activities. The hypothalamus links the nervous system to the endocrine system by producing releasing hormones.
In particular, the hypothalamus is the area of the brain that controls body temperature, hunger, and thirst.
It connects to the pituitary gland via the tuberoinfundibular pathway.
Hypothalamic nuclei
| Region |
Medial Area |
Lateral Area |
| Anterior |
Medial
preoptic nucleus
Supraoptic nucleus
Paraventricular nucleus
Anterior nucleus
Suprachiasmatic nucleus
|
Lateral
preoptic nucleus
Lateral nucleus
Part of supraoptic nucleus
|
| Tuberal |
Dorsomedial
nucleus
Ventromedial
nucleus
Arcuate nucleus
|
Lateral nucleus
Lateral
tuberal nuclei
|
| Posterior |
Mammillary nuclei (part of mammillary bodies)
Posterior
nucleus
|
Lateral nucleus |
See also: limbic system, HPA axis
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