The hypothalamus is an area of ​​the brain that controls many of the body’s vital functions. In the following lines, we will get to know them in some detail. What is it? What are its most important functions? And the hormones that it secretes, and the most important diseases that affect it.

What is the hypothalamus?

The hypothalamus, also known as the hypothalamus, is a small structure located in the center of the brain, specifically between the thalamus and the pituitary gland. The hypothalamus has a prominent role in many vital processes of the body despite its small size, because it secretes many important hormones, and other functions such as appetite control, emotional responses, body temperature control, and many other processes that we will present in detail in a later paragraph. .

Shape and composition

The hypothalamus is an integral part of the brain, and it has a conical shape heading down from the brain ending in the pituitary stalk, which is a tubular connection to the pituitary gland.

The hypothalamus and pituitary gland are connected to each other by chemical and neuronal pathways. The posterior part (which is called the median eminence) contains many nerve endings of neurosecretory cells that extend to the pituitary gland via the pituitary peduncle.

What is the function of the hypothalamus?

The main goal of the hypothalamus is to keep the body in a state of homeostasis, which means a healthy and balanced physical state, for example: feeling hungry is the brain signals to alert one that the body needs more nutrients. The hypothalamus acts as a link between the nervous system and the endocrine glands to achieve this. It plays an important role in many essential bodily functions, such as:

• hormone secretion.
• Control appetite, whether hunger or satiety.
• Managing sexual behaviors and urges.
• regulation of body temperature.
• Managing emotional responses.
• blood pressure, and heart rate.
• Secretion of digestive juices.
• balancing body fluids

Many organs and systems of the body send nerve signals to the brain to alert the hypothalamus of the unbalanced condition that requires treatment, and then release the right hormones into the bloodstream to rebalance the body.

An example of this: When the internal body temperature rises above 37 degrees Celsius, the hypothalamus receives a defect in the normal body temperature, and its rise, which makes it send signals to the body to secrete sweat. In contrast, when the temperature drops, it sends signals to the body to shiver to generate needed heat.

Hypothalamic gland hormones

There are many hormones secreted by the hypothalamus, including:

Corticotropin releasing hormone

This corticotropin-releasing hormone is involved in the body’s response to emotional and physical stress, as it stimulates the pituitary gland to release a hormone called adrenocorticotropic hormone, which stimulates the production of cortisol.

Gonadotropin releasing hormone

The release of this gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) stimulates the pituitary gland to release important reproductive hormones such as follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) and luteinizing hormone (LH).

Thyrotropin releasing hormone

It is the hormone that stimulates the pituitary gland to release thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH), which plays a very important role in the functions of many parts of the body such as the muscles, heart, and gastrointestinal tract.

Somatostatin hormone

It is a hormone that works to prevent the pituitary gland from releasing certain hormones such as growth hormone and thyroid-stimulating hormone.

Oxytocin

It is the hormone that controls many emotions and behaviors such as sexual arousal, confidence and maternal behaviour, and is involved in reproductive system functions such as childbirth and lactation.

Vasopressin

Also called antidiuretic hormone, this hormone regulates water levels in the body.

Diseases of the hypothalamus gland

When the hypothalamus does not function properly, many health problems result, including:

• Diabetes insipidus: When the hypothalamus does not secrete enough vasopressin, the kidneys excrete large amounts of water, causing frequent urination and thirst.
• Prader-Willi syndrome: It is a rare genetic disorder in which the patient does not feel full, which increases the risk of obesity, in addition to other symptoms such as slow metabolism and muscle decline.
• Gigantism: This disease occurs when the pituitary gland secretes large amounts of growth hormone (GH), and it usually affects children and adolescents, and its most prominent symptoms are tallness, increased head size, and enlarged hands or feet.
• Acromegaly: It is a rare disease, in which large amounts of growth hormone are also produced, causing rapid growth of body tissues and bones, and affects adults. Hypothalamic disorders may be a cause of both gigantism and acromegaly when the pituitary gland is stimulated to secrete the hormone abnormally.
• Hypopituitarism: A disorder of the hypothalamus may cause the pituitary gland to not produce enough hormones.

How to maintain the health of the hypothalamus

There are some tips for maintaining the health of the hypothalamus, and here are the most important ones:

• Eat healthy meals, make sure to eat various beneficial nutrients, vitamins and minerals, and stay away from unhealthy fats
• Sleep enough.
• Do regular exercise.