Category Archives: Hypothalamus

Hypothalamus is an integral part of the substance of the brain that controls a number of physical functions. It regulates variety of hormonal functions by action on the pituitary gland. It exerts control over the blood vessels and glands of the body via the autonomic nervous system. Hypothalamus is situated below the thalamus. Thalamus is a huge collection of nuclei in the centre of the cerebral hemispheres. Hypothalamus forms part of the walls and floor of the central chamber of the cerebral ventricles, called third ventricle. Your bodys biological clock is present in your hypothalamus. The biological clock is the circadian rhythm that changes your mental and physical characteristics according to whether it is day or night. Your hypothalamus needs natural daylight in order to function properly. When you have chronic fatigue syndrome, you will not get much daylight. Hypothalamus gland is the master gland of your body. It regulates metabolism and physiological hunger. It influences food intake, weight regulation, fluid intake and balance, thirst, body heat, sexual behavior, and sleep cycle. Hypothalamus receives many sensory inputs which include information from major senses such as taste and cell receptors. Different nerve cell nuclei are present in hypothalamus. Suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN) … Continue reading →

Physiology 101: Your thalamus is like the manager of your brain. All the signals from your body route through your thalamus to your cerebral cortex, where you actually do your thinking, and all of your thoughts route through your thalamus before affecting other parts of your body. Your hypothalamus sits right below the thalamus (hypo means below or beneath, just like hypothyroid means your thyroid is underactive). The hypothalamus is responsible for the bodys homeostasis, or balance with the outside world. It regulates a number of functions, including body temperature, thirst (and thus, fluid balance and blood pressure), hunger, sleep, sex drive, bonding, fight or flight responses to threats, and mood. The hypothalamus is one of several structures included in what is considered the brains limbic system, considered to be the seat of emotions in the brain. Depression, whether organic or caused by an outside event, is associated with an overactive hypothalamus. Dr Daniel Amen (Change Your Brain, Change Your Life) calls this an overactive deep limbic system, which is shown on SPECT studies to correlate well with clinical depression. You can pretty well guess what will be affected when the hypothalamus is overactive, based on its actions listed above: … Continue reading →

The HPA axis is a complicated set of relationships and signals that exist between the hypothalamus, the pituitary gland and the adrenals. This relationship is an absolutely indispensable part of our existence. Its a complicated subject, and the way that the adrenals, the pituitary gland, and hypothalamus interact with each other has been the subject of considerable research. On this page I am going to try to give a summary of each of the elements in the HPA axis and how they interact with each other. Without this knowledge, really understanding adrenal fatigue is impossible. This simplified representation is enough for you to get an idea of what the HPA axis really does. Introduction to the HPA Axis (University of California)The Endocrine System An Overview (Thyroid UK) The H in HPA stands for Hypothalamus, a small part of the brain that does a very big job. Its function is to send messages from the brain to the adrenals, the pituitary and other organs, so it is usually considered to be the starting point in the HPA axis. It is ultimately responsible for things like your circadian rhythm, your body temperature and your energy levels. The Hypothalamus (University of Wisconsin) The … Continue reading →

Facts About Hypothalamus Disorders Hypothalamus disorders are those which affect the hypothalamus, which is an area of the brain that controls and regulates many different functions of the body. Dysfunctions of this small region have many causes, and can create numerous problems throughout the bodies of both men and women. About The Hypothalamus The complex human brain is composed of several different parts, each responsible for its own part in controlling the human body. One area, called the hypothalamus, is tucked below the thalamus in the most central part of the brain. Its main purpose is to control the functions of the pituitary gland which, in turn, regulates hormones by controlling the adrenal glands, ovaries, testes and the thyroid gland. However, the job of the hypothalamus does not end with the pituitary gland. It also has the task of regulating the bodys core temperature, emotions, growth, weight and appetite, sleep, sex drive and more. As important as the hypothalamus is, it is merely the size of an almond and weighs only about 5 grams. With such taxing responsibilities, it is easy to understand how the bodys normal functions can easily be seriously disrupted if the hypothalamus is unable to perform … Continue reading →

Where is my hypothalamus? Computer artwork of a person's head showing the left side of the brain with the hypothalamus highlighted. The hypothalamus is located on the undersurface of the brain. It lies just below the thalamus and above the pituitary gland, to which it is attached by a stalk. It is an extremely complex part of the brain containing many regions with highly specialised functions. In humans, the hypothalamus is approximately the size of a pea and accounts for less than 1% of the weight of the brain. One of the major functions of the hypothalamus is to maintain homeostasis, i.e. to keep the human body in a stable, constant condition. The hypothalamus responds to a variety of signals from the internal and external environment including body temperature, hunger, feelings of being full up after eating, blood pressure and levels of hormones in the circulation. It also responds to stress and controls our daily bodily rhythms such as the night-time secretion of melatonin from the pineal gland and the changes in cortisol (the stress hormone) and body temperature over a 24-hour period.The hypothalamus collects and combines this information and puts changes in place to correct any imbalances. There are … Continue reading →