Year 12s: what will be the first way you research your future options? >>

Hormones

park1996

Been learning about ADH and the hypothalamus and all that....

just wanted to ask how does the hypothalamus detect that water levels are too low?
Are there receptors all around the body that detect a change in the environment (low levels of water), and then send a nerve impulse to the hypothalamus, which coordinates a response? Does that mean the nervous system is linked with the hormonal system??

thx

(edited 10 years ago)

Reply 1

Dynamo123

Original post by park1996

The hypothalamus is astrange part. It receives signals for low body temperature, water etc. It hs specific neurosecretory cells that direct the manufacture of ADH and Oxytocin. They are then sent to posterior pitutary lobe.

I hope this helps :yes:

Posted from TSR Mobile

Reply 2

MediBug

Essentially the blood is made up of water, ions, and other stuff. The hypothalamus has things called osmoreceptors that basically detect the ratio of water to ions. If water is low, there will be a greater ratio of ions, which the osmoreceptors detect. The hypothalamus then sends the signal to the anterior pituitary to release ADH/vasopressin, which basically raise the water level back up the the correct ratio.

If you want more detail than that, look up 'osmolarity' and 'osmolality', but be warned, it's complicated!