The epithalamus is a dorsal posterior segment of the diencephalon (a segment in the middle of the brain also containing the hypothalamus and the thalamus) which includes the habenula, the stria medullaris and the pineal body. Its function is the connection between the limbic system to other parts of the brain. The word dorsal can refer to many different things. ... The diencephalon is the region of the brain that includes the epithalamus, thalamus, and hypothalamus. ... Comparative brain sizes In the anatomy of animals, the brain, or encephalon (Greek for in the head), is the higher, supervisory center of the nervous system. ... In the anatomy of mammals, the hypothalamus is a region of the brain located below the thalamus, forming the major portion of the ventral region of the diencephalon and functioning to regulate certain metabolic processes and other autonomic activities. ... The thalamus (from Greek thálamos = bedroom, chamber) is a part of the brain. ... This article may be too technical for most readers to understand. ... The pineal gland (pronunciation: pI-nE-&l, pI-), or epiphysis, is a small endocrine gland located near the middle of the brain. ... The limbic system is a group of brain structures that are involved in various emotions such as aggression, fear, pleasure and also in the formation of memory. ...

Some functions of its components include the secretion of melatonin by the pineal gland, and the regulation of hunger and thirst by the habenula. Melatonin, or 5-methoxy-N-acetyltryptamine, is a hormone produced by pinealocytes in the pineal gland, located in the brain, but also in the retina and GI tract. ... Hunger is applied literally to the need or craving for food; it can also be applied metaphorically to cravings of other sorts. ... Drinking is the act of consuming a liquid through the mouth, almost always largely consisting of water. ...

External links

• Interactive High Resolution Brain Atlases and Brain Maps