Hypothalamus

Located in the section of the brain called diencephalon, the hypothalamus gland is an important link between the two control systems, nervous and endocrine. The hypothalamus controls much of the body's physiology, including hunger, thirst, fluid balance, and body temperature, to name only a few of its functions. The hypothalamus is also, in part, the "commander-in-chief" of the endocrine system, because it controls the pituitary gland and therefore most of the other glands in the endocrine system.

Hypothalamus Hormones

• growth hormone-releasing hormone (GHRH) increases the release of growth hormone from the pituitary gland
• growth hormone-inhibiting hormone (GHIH) decreases the release of growth hormone from the pituitary gland
• corticotropin-releasing hormone (CRH) increases the release of adrenocorticotropic hormone from the pituitary gland
• gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GRH) increases the release of luteinizing hormone and follicle-stimulating hormone from the pituitary gland
• thyrotropin-releasing hormone (TRH) increases the release of thyroid-stimulating hormone from the pituitary gland