The Role of the Hypothalamus in the Control of Appetite in relation to obesity.
Introduction
Appetite is the desire for a body’s needs to be fulfilled, in this case appetite is used in the sense of “the desire to eat food”. Humans need to manage the intake of food so mechanisms such as metabolism which occurs during cell respiration, can run efficiently meaning no energy is wasted, nor is too much saved. The effect of having a high appetite can have a tremendous effect on a person’s body weight and health. Especially if the person is motivated to eat more than the recommended food intake, or foods categorised as unhealthy (for example food products with high fat and salt content). Generally, this kind of diet plus a poor active lifestyle is …show more content…
The hypothalamic nucleus is located proximal to the blood brain barrier with little insulation allowing peripheral signals to enter the ACR directly form the blood stream. The two neuronal populations within the ACR contribute to appetite in different ways. One set of neurons co-express neuropeptide Y (NPY) and agouti related peptide (AgRP), they are the stimulants that increase food consumption. In comparison to the other neurons that have an opposite effect. The projection of these signals communicate throughout the hypothalamus to areas such as the LHA due to the plethora of AgRP immunoreactive terminals that it has. These terminals make contact with melanin concentrating hormones and orexin-expressing terminals. Thus signalling that energy stores are low and appetite should …show more content…
More desirable foods act as natural stimulates that increase the quantity of food a person would eat, foods that generally are high in saturated fats and salt. The signal response from eating the food stimulates the mesolimbic dopamine pathway. The theory suggests that foods that are more desirable, cause stimulation from senses such as smell and sight which cause orexin neurons to activate and release dopamine into the preoptic area of the hypothalamus (POA), the nucleus accumbens (NAc). It does not appear to be the taste receptors are the factors that stimulate this, the uncertainty of this comes from laboratory experiments involving rats. The rats though lacking sweet receptors still developed a strong preference for solutions of sucrose. This is then said to increase psychomotor initiation and conditioned learning through food associated
Introduction
Appetite is the desire for a body’s needs to be fulfilled, in this case appetite is used in the sense of “the desire to eat food”. Humans need to manage the intake of food so mechanisms such as metabolism which occurs during cell respiration, can run efficiently meaning no energy is wasted, nor is too much saved. The effect of having a high appetite can have a tremendous effect on a person’s body weight and health. Especially if the person is motivated to eat more than the recommended food intake, or foods categorised as unhealthy (for example food products with high fat and salt content). Generally, this kind of diet plus a poor active lifestyle is …show more content…
The hypothalamic nucleus is located proximal to the blood brain barrier with little insulation allowing peripheral signals to enter the ACR directly form the blood stream. The two neuronal populations within the ACR contribute to appetite in different ways. One set of neurons co-express neuropeptide Y (NPY) and agouti related peptide (AgRP), they are the stimulants that increase food consumption. In comparison to the other neurons that have an opposite effect. The projection of these signals communicate throughout the hypothalamus to areas such as the LHA due to the plethora of AgRP immunoreactive terminals that it has. These terminals make contact with melanin concentrating hormones and orexin-expressing terminals. Thus signalling that energy stores are low and appetite should …show more content…
More desirable foods act as natural stimulates that increase the quantity of food a person would eat, foods that generally are high in saturated fats and salt. The signal response from eating the food stimulates the mesolimbic dopamine pathway. The theory suggests that foods that are more desirable, cause stimulation from senses such as smell and sight which cause orexin neurons to activate and release dopamine into the preoptic area of the hypothalamus (POA), the nucleus accumbens (NAc). It does not appear to be the taste receptors are the factors that stimulate this, the uncertainty of this comes from laboratory experiments involving rats. The rats though lacking sweet receptors still developed a strong preference for solutions of sucrose. This is then said to increase psychomotor initiation and conditioned learning through food associated