Other Areas of the Brain
As well as the cerebrum, cerebellum and medulla oblongata, several smaller regions lie deep inside the brain. Each has a specific job.
The hypothalamus sits below the thalamus, just above the pituitary gland. It is the main control centre for homeostasis. It contains thermoreceptors and osmoreceptors that monitor the temperature and water potential of the blood, and it controls thermoregulation and osmoregulation. It also regulates hunger, thirst and sleep. It links the nervous and endocrine systems: it controls the pituitary gland, and neurosecretory cells in the hypothalamus make hormones such as ADH, which are released from the posterior pituitary.
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More in Mammalian Nervous System
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All 38 lessons in Mammalian Nervous System · All Edexcel A-level Biology topics