What is the difference between Thalamus and Hypothalamus?

Some people may assume that the thalamus and the hypothalamus are the same because of their names. While they are both found in the brain, their functions are surely different from each other. The thalamus is located in the middle portion of the brain and this is in charge of making sure that the person is alert, awake, or asleep. It may send some signals to the rest of the brain and your body when you already need to sleep and rest.

The hypothalamus is located between the thalamus and this works with the pituitary gland which is in charge of releasing hormones. The hypothalamus will make sure that the right amount of hormones will be received by the rest of the body. This can also control people’s overall temperature and feelings of hunger.

Thalamus and hypothalamus are both found in the diencephalon of the brain, and they are certainly not the same structures. The thalamus is a cone-shaped structure located in the middle of the brain. It consists of 2 bulbs each of about 6cm in length. It functions to transfer nerve impulses collected from other parts of the brain to the cortex of the brain. It is also involved in alertness, sleep, and wakefulness.

Hypothalamus is located below the thalamus, hence its name “hypo” thalamus which means under the thalamus in Greek. The hypothalamus works closely with the pituitary gland. It works by sending signals to start or stop the secretions of hormones to the pituitary gland. It consists of many small nuclei that regulate many metabolic processes in the body, such as temperature, hunger, and satiety.