The portion of the brain known as the hypothalamus is small but mighty — it controls fundamental behaviors and physiology that are essential for survival. These include eating and drinking, sexual and defensive behaviors, sleep, and physiological control of things like body temperature, fluid balance, and the body’s responses to stress.
A USC Dornsife-led study, published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences on March 25, has provided the first global network model — based on a highly detailed network map — of the inner workings of the hypothalamus. This is considered among the most critical part of the brain, as it supports life in all mammals, as well as fish, birds and many other animals.
