A cytoarchitectonic atlas of the mouse hypothalamus

A description of the organization, areas, and cell groups within the hypothalamus of the mouse is presented in detail. Photomicrographs of cell-stained serial sections through the hypothalamus in frontal, sagittal and horizontal planes are included. The hypothalamus has been divided basically into medial and lateral parts with most well-defined cell groups or nuclei lying within the medial subdivision and surrounded by diffuse collections of cells referred to as areas. The heterogenetiy of cell types within most hypothalamic nuclei and areas has been emphasized with the consequent implications for heterogeneity of neuronal connections and of functions. Recently introduced neuroanatomical techniques permitting increased attention to the cellular level of organization have demonstrated precise connections and functional localization of cells within the hypothalamus. While cytoarchitectonic distinctions imply functional distinctions, morphological and experimental evidence suggest the existence also of systems of cells which transcend conventional cytoarchitectonic boundaries, the cells within each system being interconnected functionally or neuronally.