Hypothalamus
Hypothalamus is the part of the brain concerned with many of the body’s autonomic functions. It represents less than one percent of the brain mass and yet is the most important of all motor pathways of the limbic system. It controls most of the vegetative and endocrine functions of the body as well as many aspects of emotional behavior.
Some of the functions of the hypothalamus are regulating heart rate, arterial pressure, body temperature, body fluid osmolarity, food intake and secretion of pituitary hormones. Some of the other characteristics of the hypothalamus are its involvement in behavior patterns such as anger, thirst and hunger, shivering, G.I. stimulation and body temperature regulation.
The hypothalamus controls the anterior pituitary hormone which was not fully elucidated in early 1950, which credit goes to the English endocrinologist Geoffrey W. Harris and his collaborators, who unequivocally showed that nerve cells in the hypothalamus released factors into the hypophyseal portal vessels.
These factors are carried in the capillaries through which they reach the anterior lobe of the pituitary gland and stimulate or inhibit the release of hormones. Thus the anterior pituitary gland is controlled by the specialized nerve cells (nuerosecretory cells) in the hypothalamus which unlike those associated with the posterior lobe, do not project directly to the gland but release their products into the local blood circulation, this is known as a “nuerohumoral” control mechism.
Extracts of the hypothalamic tissue were shown to contain active substances
which stimulated or inhibited the release of the anterior pituitary hormones.
These findings further reinforce the importance of the hypothalamus and
it’s function in the endocrine system.
*These statements have not been evaluated by the Food And Drug Administration.
**This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any
disease.
Reference: Human Physiology and Mechanism of Disease Pages 432- 437, The
Endocrine System pages 62-64.
