In vertebrates, which of the following frequently serves as the first intermediary between the areas of the brain that perceive sensory stimuli and the rest of the endocrine system?

A) the hypothalamus

B) the thyroid gland

C) the anterior pituitary gland

D) the posterior pituitary gland

E) the adrenal glands

The correct option is A) the hypothalamus

Explanation:

The hypothalamus is a part of the diencephalon located below the thalamus and formed by several nuclei of neurons with their associated nerve fibers, many of them neurosecretory nature, that is, to the hypothalamus, afferent and efferent pathways arrive and depart respectively, which connect it with different regions of the brain and outside it, receives signals from internal sensory receptors and, in response, sends orders through pathways in which very few synapses intervene to quickly generate regulatory responses, for this reason, the hypothalamus is considered the center of neuroendocrine, autonomous and homeostatic regulation, which acts as an integrating center coordinating environmental messages, rhythms, endogenous development patterns, emotions and body signals, to finally produce, in an integrated way, early autonomous responses and relatively late endocrine responses.