Paraventricular nucleusIts large cells make oxytocin and vasopressin. With the supraoptic nucleus it supplies the posterior pituitary.
Supraoptic nucleusIt makes oxytocin and vasopressin for the posterior pituitary. It lies just above the optic chiasm.
Suprachiasmatic nucleusThe body clock: it keeps the daily rhythms.
Preoptic area (preoptic nucleus)The frontmost part, linked to control of body temperature.
Anterior nucleusA nucleus of the front region. It is linked to control of body temperature.
Dorsomedial nucleusThe upper nucleus of the middle (tuberal) region.
Ventromedial nucleusThe lower nucleus of the middle region. It is linked to appetite and feeling full.
Arcuate nucleusIn the floor of the middle region. It is linked to feeding and to control of the anterior pituitary.
Posterior nucleusOne of the nuclei of the back region. The mammillary body lies in the same region.
Mammillary bodyA round bump at the back of the floor, linked to memory.
Landmarks around it 4
Optic chiasmIt marks the front edge of the hypothalamus, seen from below.
Infundibulum (pituitary stalk)The stalk that joins the hypothalamus to the pituitary gland.
Pituitary glandThe gland that hangs below the hypothalamus on the stalk. The back lobe releases oxytocin and vasopressin.
ThalamusThe hypothalamus lies just below it.
How this list was compiled: Every name checked on 2026-10-03 in two of these. (1) Wikipedia, English edition, Hypothalamus (its table of nuclei by region, and the lead), text only. (2) Neuroscience Online, McGovern Medical School at UTHealth Houston, Section 4, Chapter 1, Hypothalamus: Structural Organization, https://nba.uth.tmc.edu/neuroscience/m/s4/chapter01.html, and Chapter 2, https://nba.uth.tmc.edu/neuroscience/m/s4/chapter02.html. (3) Henry Gray, Anatomy of the Human Body, 1918 (public domain), The Fore-brain, for the landmarks, https://www.bartleby.com/lit-hub/anatomy-of-the-human-body/4c-the-fore-brain-or-prosencephalon. Hints and detail lines are in our own words. Licence: own work
The drawing: Drawn for this site on 2026-10-03 from plain geometry; nothing traced. A plan, not to scale. Licence: own work
How it works
This drawing shows the hypothalamus in a brain cut down the middle, with the front to the left. Each nucleus is a separate patch, so every name has one place to find.
Read the full guide
Read it from front to back
At the front are the preoptic area (4), the suprachiasmatic nucleus (3) on top of the optic chiasm (11), the supraoptic nucleus (2), the anterior nucleus (5) and, highest, the paraventricular nucleus (1). In the middle the dorsomedial nucleus (6) sits above the ventromedial (7), with the arcuate nucleus (8) on the floor. At the back are the posterior nucleus (9) and the mammillary body (10). The infundibulum (12) hangs down to the pituitary gland (13), and the thalamus (14) lies above.
Many names give the place away: supraoptic and suprachiasmatic both mean above the optic chiasm.
Dorsomedial is the upper of the middle pair and ventromedial the lower.
Questions and answers
What are the nuclei of the hypothalamus?
This drawing names ten: the preoptic area and the suprachiasmatic, supraoptic, anterior and paraventricular nuclei at the front; the dorsomedial, ventromedial and arcuate nuclei in the middle; and the posterior nucleus and the mammillary body at the back.
Which nucleus of the hypothalamus is the body clock?
The suprachiasmatic nucleus. It keeps the daily rhythms of the body, and light reaching the eyes sets it to the cycle of day and night.
Which nuclei make the hormones of the posterior pituitary?
The supraoptic and paraventricular nuclei. Large nerve cells there make oxytocin and vasopressin, and the posterior pituitary releases the hormones into the blood.
Where is the hypothalamus?
Just below the thalamus, at the base of the brain. The optic chiasm lies under its front, the mammillary bodies mark its back, and the pituitary gland hangs from it on a stalk.
Can I practice here for “art-labeling activity: the hypothalamus in sagittal section”?
Yes, for practice. That is the title of a labeling exercise. The drawing here is our own and not a copy of any course figure, so your figure may ask for other names.