Anatomy
hypothalamus Audio
hy·po·thal·a·mus [ hahy-puh-thal-uh-muhs ]
Subclass of:
Limbic System; Diencephalon
Etymology:
Greek hypo = under + thalamos = an inner chamber
Definitions related to hypothalamic:
  • (hypothalamus) A small region of the brain composed of multiple nuclei and located underneath the thalamus.
    CDISC Terminology
    Clinical Data Interchange Standards Consortium (CDISC), 2021
  • (hypothalamus) A small area in the brain that produces hormones that control body temperature, hunger, moods, the stress response, and other key functions.
    Harvard Dictionary of Health Terms
    Harvard Medical Publishing, 2011
  • (hypothalamus) A small, cone shaped collection of nuclei in the brain that is located below the thalamus and forms the lower side wall and floor of the third ventricle. It regulates homeostasis, the sleep-wake cycle, and metabolism, and plays a role in autonomic, endocrine, and motor function control.
    NCI
    U.S. National Cancer Institute, 2021
  • (hypothalamus) Organ component of neuraxis, each instance of which is the ventral part of some diencephalon, forming the floor and part of the lateral wall of some third ventricle. Anatomically, it includes some preoptic area, optic tract, optic chiasm, mammillary bodies, tuber cinereum, infundibulum, and neurohypophysis, but for physiological purposes the neurohypophysis is considered a distinct structure.
    Foundational Model of Anatomy
    University of Washington, 2017
  • (hypothalamus) The area of the brain that controls body temperature, hunger, and thirst.
    NCI Dictionary of Cancer Terms
    U.S. National Cancer Institute, 2021
  • (hypothalamus) Ventral part of the diencephalon extending from the region of the optic chiasm to the caudal border of the mammillary bodies and forming the inferior and lateral walls of the third ventricle.
    CRISP Thesaurus
    National Institutes of Health, 2006
  • The hypothalamus is a region of the brain composed of many small nuclei with diverse functions. Located above the midbrain and below the thalamus, the hypothalamus makes up the ventral diencephalon.
    Medscape
    WebMD, 2025
  • Hypothalamus, region of the brain lying below the thalamus and making up the floor of the third cerebral ventricle. The hypothalamus is an integral part of the brain. It is a small cone-shaped structure that projects downward from the brain, ending in the pituitary (infundibular) stalk, a tubular...
    Encyclopedia Britannica
    Encyclopedia Britannica, Inc., 2025
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