[Neural regulation of food absorption--review]

The periodical food intake (discrete meals) demands a control system, which includes signals for hunger and satiety. Satiety and hunger change with the absorptive and postabsorptive state of the delivery of nutrients to the organism. The brain areas involved in the regulation of food intake receive informations from three sources: periphery, environment and memory. Hypothalamic structures and pathways of neurotransmitters are considered especially. Beside these, the limbic structures are mainly responsible for the development of motivated feeding behaviour. Disturbances in the regulation of feeding behaviour are prone to cause obesity and anorexia nervosa.