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hypothalamus
has definitions from the fields of anatomy,zoology,neuroscience
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[ noun ] (anatomy,zoology,neuroscience) a basal part of the diencephalon governing autonomic nervous system
Used in print (E. Gellhorn, "Prolegomena to a theory of the emotions"...)Since emotional reactions in the higher vertebrates depend_on individual experience and are aroused in man , in_addition , by complex symbols , one would expect that the hypothalamus could be excited from the cortex . In experiments with topical application of strychnine on the cerebral_cortex , the transmission of impulses from the cortex to the hypothalamus was demonstrated . Moreover , the responsiveness of the hypothalamus to nociceptive stimulation is greatly increased under these conditions . But even in relatively primitive laboratory animals such_as the rat , sex_activity closely identified with the hypothalamus and the visceral_brain is enhanced by the neocortex . MacLean stressed correctly the importance of the visceral_brain for preservation of the individual and the species , as evidenced by the influence of the limbic_brain ( including the hypothalamus ) on emotions related_to fight and flight and also on sexual functions . Related terms |
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