Hypothalamus
Hypothalamus
Hypothalamus
Hypothalamus
• The hypothalamus, although small (0.3% of the total brain), is
a very important part of the central nervous system.
• It is essential for life. It controls the autonomic nervous
system and the endocrine system and thus indirectly controls
body homeostasis.
• The hypothalamus is well placed for this purpose, lying in the
center of the limbic system. It is the site of numerous
converging and diverging neuronal pathways, and through its
adequate blood supply, it is able to sample the blood
chemistry.
• The hypothalamus makes appropriate controlling responses
following the integration of its nervous and chemical inputs.
The Hypothalamus
• The hypothalamus is the part of the diencephalon that extends
from the region of the optic chiasma to the caudal border of the
mammillary bodies.
• It lies below the thalamus and forms the floor and the inferior
part of the lateral walls of the third ventricle .
• Anterior to the hypothalamus is an area that, for functional
reasons, is often included in the hypothalamus. Because it extends
forward from the optic chiasma to the lamina terminalis and the
anterior commissure, it is referred to as the preoptic area.
• Caudally, the hypothalamus merges into the tegmentum of the
midbrain.
• The lateral boundary of the hypothalamus is formed by the
internal capsule.
• When observed from below, the
hypothalamus is seen to be related to the
following structures, from anterior to
posterior:
• (1) the optic chiasma,
• (2) the tuber cinereum and the infundibulum,
and
• (3) the mammillary bodies
Hypothalamic Nuclei
• Microscopically, the hypothalamus is
composed of small nerve cells that are
arranged in groups or nuclei, many of which
are not clearly segregated from one another.
• For purposes of description, the nuclei are
divided by an imaginary parasagittal plane into
medial and lateral zones
Medial Zone
• In the medial zone, the following hypothalamic nuclei
can be recognized, from anterior to posterior:
1. Preoptic nucleus
2. Anterior nucleus
3. Suprachiasmatic nucleus
4. Paraventricular nucleus
5. Dorsomedial nucleus
6. Ventromedial nucleus
7. Infundibular (arcuate) nucleus
8. Posterior nucleus.
Lateral Zone
• In the lateral zone, the following hypothalamic
nuclei can be recognized, from anterior to
posterior:
1. Preoptic nucleus
2. Suprachiasmatic nucleus
3. Supraoptic nucleus
4. Lateral nucleus
5. Tuberomammillary nucleus
6. Lateral tuberal nuclei.
Hypothalamic Lines of Communication
• The hypothalamus receives information from the
rest of the body through (1) nervous connections,
(2) the bloodstream, and (3) cerebrospinal fluid.
• The neurons of the hypothalamic nuclei respond
and exert their control via the same routes.
• The cerebrospinal fluid may serve as a conduit
between the neurosecretory cells of the
hypothalamus and distant sites of the brain.
Afferent Nervous Connections of the
Hypothalamus
• The hypothalamus, which lies in the center of
the limbic system, receives many afferent
fibers from the viscera, the olfactory mucous
membrane, the cerebral cortex, and the limbic
system.
• The afferent connections are numerous and
complex; the main pathways are as follows:
The Main Afferent Nervous Connections of
the Hypothalamus