Hypothalamus
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, and circadian cycles.
It connects to the pituitary gland via the tuberoinfundibular pathway.
| 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 bodies) Posterior nucleus | Lateral nucleus |
See also: limbic system, HPA axis, cluster headaches
| Endocrine system |
| Adrenal gland - Corpus luteum - Hypothalamus - Ovaries - Pancreas - Parathyroid gland - Pineal gland - Pituitary gland - Testes - Thyroid gland |