Hypothalamus

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The hypothalamus is a small area of the brain which forms the ventral/inferior part of the diencephalon, located anterior/rostral and inferior/ventral to the thalamus. Although it weighs only about 4 g, it controls a wide range of vital functions of the human body (e.g. homeostasis, energy consumption, hunger, awareness etc...) via its connections with the endocrine system, autonomic nervous system and limbic system. It contributes to the formation of the walls and the floor of the third ventricle.

The neuronal bodies of the hypothalamus are organized into nuclei that are responsible for the specific functions of the hypothalamus. In order to learn those nuclei, it’s easier to divide the hypothalamus into regions and group them together. The hypothalamus can be divided into regions using both the coronal and the sagittal planes. In the coronal plane, there are three divisions or zones:

• Periventricular zone of the hypothalamus, which is the most medial and it’s close to the third ventricle; 
• Medial zone of the hypothalamus, which is the most nuclei-dense zone;
• Lateral zone of the hypothalamus.

In contrast, in the sagittal plane, there are four subdivisions (areas) that include: 

• The preoptic area;
• The anterior (chiasmatic) hypothalamic area;
• The intermediate (tuberal) hypothalamic area;
• The posterior (mammillary) hypothalamic area.

Watch the following video and learn which nuclei are located in those regions, their connections and functions.

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Browse atlas

Take a closer look at the hypothalamus in the gallery below. 

Summary