Related Experiment Video
Updated: Mar 25, 2026

Combining Quantitative Food-intake Assays and Forcibly Activating Neurons to Study Appetite in Drosophila
Published on: April 24, 2018
[Molecular mechanism for feeding and food preference regulation]
1Division of Endocrinology and Metabolism, Department of Developmental Physiology,National Institute for Physiological Sciences, Japan. Department of Physiological Sciences, SOKENDAI(The Graduate University for Advanced Studies School of Life Science), Japan.
Abstract:
Feeding behavior is regulated by homeostatic and hedonic mechanisms. NPY/AgRP neurons in the arcuate hypothalamus are involved in the homeostatic regulation, and dopaminergic neurons in the ventral tegmental area regulating the nucleus of accumbens are involved in the hedonic regulation, respectively. Food preference also appears to be regulated by both homeostatic and hedonic mechanisms. However, molecular mechanism for food preference regulation remains elusive and further studies are necessary.
Related Concept Videos
Regulation of Food Intake
The Physiology of Taste
Taste Buds and Receptors
Primary Motives: Hunger and Thirst
Hunger arises when the brain detects changes in the body's nutrient levels, including glucose, lipids, amino acids, and hormones such as ghrelin and leptin. The hypothalamus plays a central role in hunger regulation. The lateral hypothalamus...
Gustation
Neural Regulation

