Hypothalamus Research Paper

These glands are closely associated with the hypothalamus in their functionality. As such, the pituitary gland produces an array of hormones once it receives signals from the hypothalamus. These hormones are responsible for regulating the activities of the other glands, such as prolactin, which is involved in milk production, adrenocorticotropic hormone which responds to stress through a stimulation of the epinephrine, hormone responsible for the stimulation of thyroid, as well as the luteinizing hormone, which regulates ovulation timing and promotes sperm and egg development, follicle-stimulating hormone and sex hormone.
Other hormones produced in the pituitary gland include; dopamine, which functions to inhibit prolactin releases, melanocyte-stimulating hormone useful in skin pigmentation, and the human growth hormone. The pineal gland, on the other hand, produces melatonin hormone, which is responsible for skin pigmentation. This gland is, however, controlled by light-sensitive neurons originating from the retina of each eye and stop at the hypothalamus. The pineal gland plays a different role in animals by guiding reproductive functions.
Thalamus and Hypothalamus …show more content…
The thalamus, for instance, contains two oval masses joined by a bridge. These masses have nerve cell bodies responsible for sensory information transmission into the cerebral cortex in the exception of the sense of smell, which relays signals directly to the cortex without going through thalamus. The hypothalamus is relatively smaller in size but controls a large number of bodily functions. This part is responsible for stimulating smooth muscle lining the intestines, stomach, and blood vessels at the autonomic level in addition to receiving impulses from such areas. As a result, the hypothalamus controls the heart rate, bladder contraction, and food passage through the