Systems of human body
The Control Panel Of Your Life And Lifestyle Lies In Nuclei
“My stomach is full”, “I am feeling cold”, someone is having blue moon depression... etc are a few of the routine feelings experienced by all of us. These physiological and psychological behaviors are coordinated and expressed by your brain in association with the complex network of the nervous system.
The actions and reactions are signaled by upregulation and downregulation of hormones produced by the endocrine system, in response to the brain signals. However, the brain is involved in a lot of other functions too. Therefore, to be precise, it is the hypothalamus, which is controlling and synchronizing the functioning of our endocrine organs with the neural network and forms the center point of the neuroendocrine system.
This central control makes it regulate the endocrine system, especially the critical anterior pituitary gland. Hypothalamus is a collection of small nuclei located below the thalamus, each capable of controlling one or more functions of our body. The nuclei are organized into three specific regions in the hypothalamus, namely, anterior, tuberal and posterior and each function is centralized in separate medial, lateral and preoptic nuclei areas.
Major neuroendocrine systems of the human body
1. Hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenal axis (HPA axis)
2. Hypothalamic–pituitary-thyroid axis (HPT axis)
3. Hypothalamic–pituitary-gonadal axis (HPG axis)
4. Hypothalamic–neurohypophyseal system
Major functions of neuroendocrine systems
They control the homeostasis, blood pressure and body balance
They control all aspects of reproduction including spermatogenesis, menstrual and ovarian cycle, fertilization, lactation, parenting and maternal behavior etc.
Controlling the response of the human body to stress, environmental factors, and infection.
Controls appetite, energy intake, utilization, and metabolism, thereby influencing the feelings of hunger and thirst.
The neurons of the system serve as the road for transmission of stimuli and response from the nerve ends to the brain and vice-versa respectively. They are also the production and release centers of the secretory chemicals such as hormones and chemical molecules.
This almond-sized organ actually connects the nervous system to the endocrine system through the pituitary gland or hypophysis. We can sum up the major functions of the hypothalamus as:
Regulation of metabolic processes and similar activities of the autonomic nervous system.
Synthesis and secretion of neurohormones which control the upregulation or downregulation of pituitary hormones.
Manages the homeostasis by regulating our body temperature
Controls the feelings of hunger, thirst, fatigue, circadian rhythm and sleep
Influences the behavioral aspects of parenting and attachment
How does the thalamus bring bout this control?
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