

The second function of the hypothalamus is to manufacture the hormones needed to send these messages. For this reason it is considered the “control centre” of the endocrine system.


The set-point can migrate, but remains remarkably fixed from day-to-day. It receives inputs from the body, then initiates compensatory changes if anything differentiates from this set-point. Like a thermostat, the hypothalamus uses a set-point to regulate the body’s systems including electrolyte and fluid balance, body temperature, blood pressure, and body weight. In this way, our bodies are able to respond to sensations we feel about our surroundings without over or under-responding. The pituitary receives these messages and in turn sends other chemical messages to the endocrine organs. It does this by receiving nerve messages from the brain, translating them into chemical messages and relaying those new chemical messages to the pituitary gland. Its primary function is to maintain balance within the body system. It is part of both the neural system and the endocrine system and has two functions. The hypothalamus is a gland about the size of a grape found in the central brain. Melatonin secretion peaks at night and ebbs during the day. This melatonin instructs the body to make adjustments in temperature, blood pressure, alertness and other biological processes to facilitate sleeping or waking. The pineal gland receives cues about the amount of light in the environmental and these cues trigger the pineal gland to produce melatonin. The pineal gland produces a hormone called melatonin whose main function is the regulation of the wake-sleep cycle. It is only about the size of a grain of rice and is pinkish-grey in colour. The pineal gland is a pinecone-shaped gland found in a groove between the two lobes of the brain. Pineal, Hypothalamus and Pituitary Glands
