MedlinePlus Medical Encyclopedia: Hypothalamus

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Hypothalamus

Contents of this page:
Definition	References

Definition

The hypothalamus is an area of the brain that produces hormones that control thirst, hunger, body temperature, sleep, moods, sex drive, and the release of hormones from various glands, primarily the pituitary gland.

References

Hadley ME, Levine JE. Endocrinology. 6th ed. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Prentice Hall; 2007:111-133.

Coll AP, Farooqi IS, O’rahilly S. The hormonal control of food intake. Cell 2007; 129(2):251-262.

Update Date: 4/26/2007

Updated by: Robert Hurd, MD, Professor of Endocrinology, Department of Biology, Xavier University, Cincinnati, OH. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network.

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