Hypothalamus Flashcards
What inputs to the hypothalamus
The entire body:
visual from the superior chiasmatic nucleus
pain from trigeminal
affective info from the limbic system
Does the hypothalamus contain internal sensory neurons
Yes. These neurons respons to changes in glucose and osmolarity and pH
Do circulating hormones directly or indirectly influence the hypothalamus
Yes. It i alo linked to hormonal release via HPA axis
Does the hypothalamus establish biological set points for temperature and osmolarity.
Yes. and it can reflex back via the endocrine and ANS responses in order to get back to these points to resore homeostasis
When can we see the hypothalamus
It is visible only from the ventral surface of the brain. It is also the structure that is beneath the corpus colusum and the thalamus and the third ventricle. The hypothalamus is bordered anteriorly by the lamina terminalis and posteriorly by the mammilary body.
How is it related to the optic chiasm
On the ventral surface the anterior border is the optic chiasm. So right next to it.
How is the hypothalamus connected to the pituitary
It is connected by the infundibular stalk to the pituitary gland. Yhe Hypophesis is in the sella turcica of the sphenoid bone.
What are the parts of the pituitary
The anterior part is from the mouth and the posterior part is from the brain
Tuber cinereum
a hollow eminence of gray matter between the optic chaiasm and the mammillary bodies that is part of the hypothalamus. It is mainly implicated in circadian rhythm
Blood supply
ACA
What are the zones of the hypothalamus
1) Periventricular (around the 3rd ventricles)
2) Middle zone
3) Lateral zone
Lateral zone
Not much cells. Wealth of passing axon fibers. Traversed by many myelinated and unmyelinated axons that are associated with the median forebrain bundle.
What are the zones of the lateral zone
1) the Lateral preoptic nucles
2) Lateral Hypothalamic area
3) Tuberomammillary nucleus
The lateral preoptic nucleus
The lateral preoptic nucleus of the lateral zone is the most anterior portion of the lateral zone. It is an area that develops from the TELENCEPHALON. The lateral preoptic nucleus is specaial because it is in the lateral zone of the hypothalamus and is the only part of the hypothalamus that is derived from the TELENCEPHALON. It doesn’t do much
The lateral hypothalamic area
The lateral hypothalamic area of the lateral zone INDUCES consumption. If electrically stimulated it will induce eating. If ablated it will cause ANOREXIA or STARVATION.
tuberomammillary nucleus
Part of the lateral zone of the hypothalamus that is a compact nuclesu that synthesizes HISTAMINE. HISTAMINE is used as a NT, and this cluser of HISTAMINERGIC neurons that distribute themselves globally to the entire brain.
Sleep and the tuberomammillary nucleus
the HISTAMINERGIC neurons of the tuberomammillary nucleus are ACTIVELY INHIBITED right before you fall asleep
What are the nuclei of the medial zone
1) Medial preoptic nucleus
2) Anterior or super optic zone
3) Middle or tuberal zone
3) Posterior or mammillary region
Medial preoptic nucleus
The medial preoptic area/nucleus houses neurons that regulate gonadotrophin release from the anterior pituitary. The medial preoptic nucleus is SEXUALLY DIMORPHIC. So the interstitial nuclea are located here, and based on the intersitial nuclei of the MEDIAL PREOPTIC NUCLEUS one will have a different gender.
Anterior zone of the middle zone
The BASE of the hypothalamus, which is the suprachiasmatic nucleus. It is called the SUPRACHIASMATIC nucleus because it is above the optic chiasm. The SUPRACHIASMATIC nucleus plays a role in the circadian rhythms and diurnal clocks of the brain. It receives axons directly from the retina via the optic nerve, and then regulates staying awake in response to light.
Anterior Hypothalamic nucleus
WARMTH is sensed by the anterior nucleus of the hypothalamus. Bilateral damage to the anterior hypothalamic nucleus will affect our ability negatively to dissipate heat = HYPERTHERMIA.
The paraventricular nucleus
Adjacent to the third ventricle
Neurons of the paraventricular nucleus
3 types of neurons
1) MAGNOCELLULAR Neurons: Makes peptides like oxytocin and vasopressin/ADH but NOT BOTH. They have huge cell bodies. MAGNOCELLULARly made vasopressin/ADH OR OXYTOCIN is released via the posterior pituitary. It uses the SUPRAOPTICOINFUNDIBULAR pathway that travels inside the INFUNDIBULUM to get from the hypothalamus to the posterior pituitary.
2) Parvocellular neurons
More paraventricular neurons
2 types of PARVOCELLULAR neurons
PARVOCELLULAR neurons
1) Corticotropin releasing hormone, CRH making neurons
These PARVOCELLULAR neurons release CRH at the median eminence, and they go into the hypothalamic portal veins to stimulate the anterior pituitary to make ACTH, and therefore get cortisol from the adrenal cortex. So this is second group of PARVOCELLULAR nuerons is in response to stress.
Neurons that project to the spinal cord - hypothalamospinal tract.
The neurons that project to the spinal cord: Hypothalamospinal tract are responsible for activating the SNS are of the ANS here.
Role of paraventricular zone ?
Heavily linked to the stress response - regardless of the source, the stress pathway neurons terminate HERE.
Bitemporal hemianopsia risk
If there is a tumor that extends downwards, the location or the paraventricular nuclei is just above the optic chiasm. So the patient has the risk of getting bitemporal hemianopsia.
Minimi of the MAGNOCELLULAR neurons
The supraoptic nucleus that sits on top of the optic tract. It makes and releases oxytocin and vasopressin. Therefore hypothalamic oxytocin and vasopressin can come from one of two zones in the anterior region of the middle hypothalamus -either the supraoptic or the paraventricular.
Tuberal Region of the hypothalamus
There are 3 nuclei of the tuberal region.
1) Dorsomedial nucleus
2) Ventromedial nucleus
Nuclei of the tuberal region of the hypothalamus
1) Dorsomedial region: implicated in blood pressure regulation and aggression
2) Ventromedial region
3) Arcuate
Ventromedial region of the tuberal region of the hypothalamus
So it is ventral to the dorsal medial region. It is implicated in FEEDING. However stimulation of the VENTROMEDIAL region will result in HYPERPHAGIA. This is OPPOSITE to the effects of the lateral hypothalamic area. It is also implicated in STOPPING anger associated with the dorsal medial. So if you lesion a cat’s ventromedial hypothalamus you will do the exact same thing as stimulating the dorsal medial hypothalamuc = INCITE RAGE.