An Overview of the Hypothalamus – The Endocrine Systems …

The Hypothalamus Essentials

The hypothalamus plays a significant role in the endocrine system. It is responsible for maintaining your bodys internal balance, which is known as homeostasis. To do this, the hypothalamus helps stimulate or inhibit many of your bodys key processes, including:

Anatomy of the Hypothalamus

Hormones of the Hypothalamus

The hypothalamus is highly involved in pituitary gland function. When it receives a signal from the nervous system, the hypothalamus secretes substances known as neurohormones that start and stop the secretion of pituitary hormones.

Primary hormones secreted by the hypothalamus include:

Hypothalamic Disease A disease or disorder of the hypothalamus is known as a hypothalamic disease. A physical injury to the head that impacts the hypothalamus is one of the most common causes of hypothalamic disease.

Hypothalamic diseases can include appetite and sleep disorders, but because the hypothalamus affects so many different parts of the endocrine system, it can be hard to pinpoint whether the root cause of the disorder is actually related to another gland.

In particular, the hypothalamus and pituitary gland are so tightly connected that its often difficult for doctors to determine whether the condition is associated with the hypothalamus or pituitary gland. These are known as hypothalamic-pituitary disorders. However, there are hormone tests that help shed light on which part of the body is the root cause.

The hypothalamus is arguably the most essential of the endocrine system. By alerting the pituitary gland to release certain hormones to the rest of the endocrine system, the hypothalamus ensures that the internal processes of your body are balanced and working as they should.

Updated on: 04/08/15

About the Endocrine System

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An Overview of the Hypothalamus - The Endocrine Systems ...