Hypothalamus Flashcards
What two systems does the hypothalamus link together?
Central nervous system and the endocrine system
What brain system is the hypothalamus a part of?
The limbic system
What hormones does the hypothalamus synthesise?
Releasing hormones/ hypothalamic hormones
What do the neurohormones act on?
Pituitary
What are the roles of the hypothalamus? (seven)
Maintenance of milieu interne
Behaviour (including attachment and parenting)
Memory
Regulation of energy metabolism (food intake, metabolic rate, temperature regulation, growth)
Reproductive function (including milk production, social interactions)
Biological clock (e.g. sleep-wake cycles, circadian rhythms)
Control of blood flow (cardiac output, blood osmolarity and renal clearance, thirst regulation)
What is the hypothalamus derived from?
Diencephalon
What ventricle does the hypothalamus lie near?
The third ventricle
What depression separates the thalamus (superior) from the hypothalamus (inferior)?
Hypothalamic sulcus
What are the four regions of the hypothalamus?
Preoptic
Supraoptic
Tuberal
Mammillary
What nuclei lie in the preoptic area?
Preoptic nucleus
What nuclei lie in the supraoptic area?
Suprachiasmatic, supraoptic, paraventricular, anterior nuclei
What nuclei lie in the tuberal area?
Dorsomedial, ventromedial, arcuate, pre-mammillary, lateral tuberal nuclei
What nuclei lie in the mammillary area?
Mammillary, posterior nuclei
What regions does the hypothalamus receive input from?
Retina Olfactory receptors Cutaneous receptors Higher limbic system Viscera
What are the two limbic input loops?
Fornix (hippocampus to mammillary bodies)
Striae terminalis (amygdala to medial hypothalamus)
What regions does the hypothalamus output to?
Thalamus
Midbrain tegmentum
Amygdala
Midbrain PAG
Frontal and parietal lobes, habenular nucleus, midbrain
Blood stream (pituitary)
What are the limbic output loops?
Papez circuit, mammillothalamic tract (Mammillary bodies to anterior thalamic nucleus to cingulate gyrus)
Mammillotegmental tract (to tegmentum RF)
What is the retinal input pathway?
Retinohypothalamic tract
What nucleus does the retina input into?
Suprachiasmatic nucleus
What are the three basic non-specific functions of the hypothalamus?
Feed-back
Feed-forward
Anticipation (to meet future needs)
What are the neuroendocrine functions of the hypothalamus?
Neurotransmitter release leads to (neuro)hormone release directly into the blood stream.
Where is the site of hormone release as a result of hypothalamus actions?
Pituitary
What four nuclei of the hypothalamus have neuroendocrine function?
Arcuate
PVN
Anterior HT
Supraoptic nucleus
What hormones does arcuate release?
GnRH, GHRH, Dopamine
What hormones does PVN release?
CRH, TRH, ADH, oxytocin
What hormones does anterior HT release?
Sclerostin
What hormones does SON release?
ADH, oxytocin
What two nuclei release ADH and oxytocin?
SON, PVN
What nucleus releases sclerostin?
Anterior HT
What nucleus releases dopamine?
Arcuate