hypothalamus

(Newser) - Rats, like humans, don't naturally hibernate. But scientists have figured out a way to induce a torpor-like state in the rodents which, as the Guardian reports, raises the prospect that the same thing can happen in humans, with a host of hard-to-imagine ramifications in fields ranging from space travel...

(Newser) - A year ago, Landon Jones, 12, suddenly lost his desire to eat and drink—and it hasn't come back. The case remains a mystery, and possibly unique, says a Mayo Clinic doctor. One day, the Des Moines Register reports, Landon had a normal appetite; the next, he woke up...

(Newser) - Scientists have discovered an immune system pathway in the brain that they think is the root cause of diseases related to obesity, Reuters reports. When mice were overfed, the hypothalamus secreted a compound that suppressed the conversion of food into energy, and led to inflammation associated with heart disease and...

(Newser) - The brains of men and women are so physically different they amount to different organs and may have developed from distinct genetic blueprints, new research shows. Distinct anatomical differences between male and female brains likely explain many well-established differences of perception and behavior between the sexes, from problem-solving strategies to...