THE BRAIN

The Inner Brain

Deep inside the brain, hidden underneath the cerebral hemispheres are a number of small but vitally important structures.

The hypothalamus controls many important functions. It helps control behaviours such as eating, sex and sleeping as well as regulating body temperature and emotions. Extending from the hypothalamus, and partly controlled by it, is the pituitary gland which secretes several important hormones including prolactin, corticotropin and growth hormone. The thalamus acts as a relay station between the spinal cord and the cerebrum. A tract of nerves leads from the hypothalamus and thalamus to the hippocampus, which functions as a kind of memory index, sending memories out to the appropriate part of the cerebral hemispheres for long-term storage and retrieving them when required.