Word: hypothalamus
(lookup in dictionary)
(lookup stats)
Dates: all
Sort By: most recent first
(reverse)
...grafts genetically-engineered nerve cells into the hypothalamus of their brains; the cells assemble themselves into circuitry that generates opposite-sex attraction, and soon these site-sex attraction, and soon these young men are happily dating women, their homosexuality a thing of the past...
...probably no coincidence that the relaxation response and religious experience share headquarters in the brain. Studies show that the relaxation response is controlled by the amygdala, a small, almond-shaped structure in the brain that together with the hippocampus and hypothalamus makes up the limbic system. The limbic system, which is found in all primates, plays a key role in emotions, sexual pleasure, deep-felt memories and, it seems, spirituality. When either the amygdala or the hippocampus is electrically stimulated during surgery, some patients have visions of angels and devils. Patients whose limbic systems are chronically stimulated by drug abuse...
Despite these constraints, Swaab and his colleagues were able to detect some intriguing patterns. They compared the brains of two dozen "ordinary" men and women. For the most part, the brains appeared to be the same until the researchers examined a section of the hypothalamus called the BSTc. Although no one knows for sure what this tiny patch of neurons does in humans, earlier studies have indicated that, in rats at least, it plays a key role in regulating male sexual behavior. Half the men in the control group were heterosexual and half were homosexual. Yet, regardless of their sexual...
Although romantics of all ages can recall occasions when lust interfered with reason, scientists once believed sex hormones had very little effect on the brain. The chemicals' only target was supposed to be a tiny structure called the hypothalamus, buried deep in the brain, which is the seat for sexual drive and other urges, such as appetite and aggression. Recent research, however, has shown that the entire brain, including the thought-processing cortex, is awash in sex hormones, even before birth. The larger amounts of testosterone produced by males may predispose men's brains toward greater specialization...
...life. Subtle differences between the male and female brain can be traced to the influences of estrogen and testosterone in the womb. (While all fetuses are exposed to their mother's estrogen, male fetuses produce testosterone in their testes by the 12th week of gestation.) Particularly affected is the hypothalamus, a walnut-size structure located near the top of the brainstem that governs sexual development and sexual behavior and regulates temperature and water balance. Many scientists believe that such gender differences as the male facility with math, the female facility with language, girls' slightly superior hearing and skill at interpreting...