Brainscape's Knowledge GenomeTM


Top Flashcards (Certified)
All Flashcards

Neuroscience > Hypothalamus > Flashcards

Hypothalamus Flashcards

(76 cards)

Start Studying
1
Q

What two systems does the hypothalamus link together?

A

Central nervous system and the endocrine system

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
2
Q

What brain system is the hypothalamus a part of?

A

The limbic system

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
3
Q

What hormones does the hypothalamus synthesise?

A

Releasing hormones/ hypothalamic hormones

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
4
Q

What do the neurohormones act on?

A

Pituitary

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
5
Q

What are the roles of the hypothalamus? (seven)

A

Maintenance of milieu interne

Behaviour (including attachment and parenting)

Memory

Regulation of energy metabolism (food intake, metabolic rate, temperature regulation, growth)

Reproductive function (including milk production, social interactions)

Biological clock (e.g. sleep-wake cycles, circadian rhythms)

Control of blood flow (cardiac output, blood osmolarity and renal clearance, thirst regulation)

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
6
Q

What is the hypothalamus derived from?

A

Diencephalon

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
7
Q

What ventricle does the hypothalamus lie near?

A

The third ventricle

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
8
Q

What depression separates the thalamus (superior) from the hypothalamus (inferior)?

A

Hypothalamic sulcus

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
9
Q

What are the four regions of the hypothalamus?

A

Preoptic

Supraoptic

Tuberal

Mammillary

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
10
Q

What nuclei lie in the preoptic area?

A

Preoptic nucleus

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
11
Q

What nuclei lie in the supraoptic area?

A

Suprachiasmatic, supraoptic, paraventricular, anterior nuclei

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
12
Q

What nuclei lie in the tuberal area?

A

Dorsomedial, ventromedial, arcuate, pre-mammillary, lateral tuberal nuclei

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
13
Q

What nuclei lie in the mammillary area?

A

Mammillary, posterior nuclei

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
14
Q

What regions does the hypothalamus receive input from?

A 
Retina
Olfactory receptors
Cutaneous receptors
Higher limbic system 
Viscera
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
15
Q

What are the two limbic input loops?

A

Fornix (hippocampus to mammillary bodies)

Striae terminalis (amygdala to medial hypothalamus)

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
16
Q

What regions does the hypothalamus output to?

A

Thalamus

Midbrain tegmentum

Amygdala

Midbrain PAG

Frontal and parietal lobes, habenular nucleus, midbrain

Blood stream (pituitary)

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
17
Q

What are the limbic output loops?

A

Papez circuit, mammillothalamic tract (Mammillary bodies to anterior thalamic nucleus to cingulate gyrus)

Mammillotegmental tract (to tegmentum RF)

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
18
Q

What is the retinal input pathway?

A

Retinohypothalamic tract

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
19
Q

What nucleus does the retina input into?

A

Suprachiasmatic nucleus

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
20
Q

What are the three basic non-specific functions of the hypothalamus?

A

Feed-back

Feed-forward

Anticipation (to meet future needs)

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
21
Q

What are the neuroendocrine functions of the hypothalamus?

A

Neurotransmitter release leads to (neuro)hormone release directly into the blood stream.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
22
Q

Where is the site of hormone release as a result of hypothalamus actions?

A

Pituitary

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
23
Q

What four nuclei of the hypothalamus have neuroendocrine function?

A

Arcuate
PVN
Anterior HT
Supraoptic nucleus

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
24
Q

What hormones does arcuate release?

A

GnRH, GHRH, Dopamine

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
25
What hormones does PVN release?
CRH, TRH, ADH, oxytocin
26
What hormones does anterior HT release?
Sclerostin
27
What hormones does SON release?
ADH, oxytocin
28
What two nuclei release ADH and oxytocin?
SON, PVN
29
What nucleus releases sclerostin?
Anterior HT
30
What nucleus releases dopamine?
Arcuate
31
What nucleus releases the Gs (GnRH and GHRH)?
Arcuate
32
What nucleus releases CRH and TRH?
PVN
33
How does the hypothalamus communicate with the anterior pituitary?
Hypothalamic parvocellular neurons secrete releasing or inhibiting hormones into hypothalamo-pituitary portal veins Hypothalamo-pituitary portal veins carry these hormones to anterior pituitary
34
What neurons secrete releasing or inhibiting hormones into hypothalamo-pituitary portal veins?
Hypothalamic parvocellular neurons
35
What vasculature connects the pituitary and hypothalamus?
Hypothalamo-pituitary portal veins
36
What stops the release of pituitary hormones?
Responsive cells secrete or stop secreting hormones in response to binding of hypothalamic releasing or inhibiting hormones into systemic circulation
37
What is the target cell of sclerostin?
Somatotrophs - GH
38
What are the two inhibiting hypothalamic hormones?
Sclerostin and dopamine
39
How does the hypothalamus communicate with the posterior pituitary?
Hypothalamic magnocellular neurons release hormones directly into systemic veins that drain into the systemic circulation Hypothalamo-hypophyseal tract (axons of neuroendocrine magnocellular neurons)
40
What neurons release hormones directly into systemic veins that drain into the systemic circulation?
Hypothalamic magnocellular neurons
41
What is the name of the tract connecting hypothalamus with posterior pituitary?
Hypothalamo-hypophyseal tract
42
What does oxytocin facilitate at the breast?
Milk ejection reflex/Letdown reflex: in lactating (breastfeeding) mothers, oxytocin acts at the mammary glands, causing milk to be lactated
43
How does suckling promote lactation?
Suckling by the infant at the nipple is relayed by spinal nerves to the hypothalamus (SON and PVN) The stimulation causes neurons that make oxytocin to fire action potentials in intermittent bursts; these bursts result in the secretion of pulses of oxytocin from the neurosecretory nerve terminals of the pituitary gland.
44
What does oxytocin stimulate at the uterus?
Uterine contraction: important for cervical dilation before birth, oxytocin causes contractions during the second and third stages of labor.
45
What does oxytocin stimulate in males?
A burst of oxytocin is released during ejaculation in human males; its suggested function is to stimulate contractions of the reproductive tract, aiding sperm release.
46
What does oxytocin support behaviourally?
Maternal behavior: Female rats given oxytocin antagonists after giving birth do not exhibit typical maternal behavior.
47
What does ADH promote?
ADH promotes water retention in kidneys release is modified when blood osmolarity changes by more than ~ 1% from set point (~ 280 mOsm/kg)
48
What promotes ADH release?
Hypertonic conditions stimulate ADH release (water is leaving cells as blood not dilute)
49
What neurons, where, detect changes in osmolarity?
Osmosensitive neurons in the: vascular organ of lamina terminalis, subfornical organ (SFO) and NTS
50
Where do osmosensitive neurons project to?
Supraoptic and paraventricular nuclei
51
How does hyperosmolarity stimulate release of ADH?
Increased blood osmolarity causes osmosensitive (OVLT) neurons to shrink TRPV1 channels open, leading to depolarisation and eventually firing of (OVLT) neurons (graded response) (OVLT) neurons make monosynaptic glutamatergic contacts with supra-optic nuclei neurons This promotes firing of ADH-releasing neurons and hence ADH release
52
What does firing of ADH releasing neurons depend on?
Central and peripheral inputs (baroreceptors!) as well as their intrinsic osmosensitivity
53
Are ADH releasing neurons intrinsically osmosensitive?
Yes
54
What is the cause of diabetes insipidus?
Central DI: failure to secrete ADH, resulting in excess urine output and dehydration Following pituitary stalk damage (accident)
55
What are the non-neuroendocrine functions of the hypothalamus
Food and drink intake Thermoregulation Circadian rhythms ANS control
56
What is the role of the anterior HT nucleus?
ANS regulation, endogenous temperature sensor, osmoregulation, energy metabolism, blood flow
57
What is the role of the suprachiasmatic nucleus?
Circadian rhythms
58
What is the role of the arcuate nucleus?
Food intake
59
What is the role of the ventromedial nucleus?
Satiety centre (role in aggression?)
60
What is the role of the lateral HT nucleus?
Hunger centre
61
What is the role of the Posterior HT nucleus?
ANS regulation (temperature sensor)
62
What is the role of the mammillary bodies?
Memory
63
Where is the hunger centre?
Lateral HT
64
Where is the satiety centre?
Ventromedial
65
Where is the temperature sensor?
Posterior HT/ Anterior HT
66
What nucleus receives olfactory input?
Lateral HT
67
What nucleus has receptors for leptin and insulin?
Arcuate
68
What is the action of central temperature sensor (two models)?
Heat directly opens ion channel that then depolarises neuron leading to AP firing Same principle as peripheral temperature sensing (TRP channels) Heat indirectly promotes depolarisation of neuron leading to AP firing Heat-inactivated “leak” K+ channel: increased K+ channel inactivation at high temperature results in decreased hyperpolarisation due to less loss of K+, background depolarising current can now effectively depolarise cell to threshold level for AP firing.
69
Where do lesions cause hyperthermia?
Anterior
70
Where do lesions cause hypothermia?
Posterior
71
What nuclei do the mammillary bodies contain?
Lateral nuclei | Medial nuclei
72
What occurs in Korsakoff's syndrome?
Alcohol-induced Vitamine B1 deficiency: damage to mammillary bodies (but also thalamus)
73
What deficits does Korsakoff's cause?
Anterograde and retrograde amnesia
74
What cells does the lateral nuclei of the mammillary body contain?
Head direction cells fire selectively when animal faces specific direction in horizontal plane for navigation
75
What cells does the medial nuclei of the mammillary body contain?
Memory formation connected with hippocampus via fornix and fire at theta frequency (4-8Hz), which elicits long term potentiation in hippocampus
76
What is the role of vasopressin in behaviour?
Courtship, aggression, territorial defence, paternal care of young and pair bonding

Neuroscience (19 decks)

Brainscape helps you reach your goals faster, through stronger study habits.
© 2025 Bold Learning Solutions. Terms and Conditions