• Question: If you lost the Hypothalamus part of the brain and then went into a blazing hot desert would you die of your body overheating?

    Asked by purplegiraffe to Damien, Rachael, Simon, Suzi, Tim on 17 Jun 2011.
    • Photo: Suzi Gage

      Suzi Gage answered on 17 Jun 2011:

      Hi @purplegiraffe
      You’re right that the hypothalamus is involved in homeostasis, or controlling body temperature.
      So yes, your body would overheat in a hot environment, but you’d have all sorts of other problems too. Without your hypothalamus functioning properly you can feel tired all the time, or hyperactive, and you wouldn’t cope well with stress.

      Hope this answers your question.

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