Thirst

Our bodies are mostly water, and this water is constantly being lost through evaporative and other means. Thus the evolution of robust mechanisms for finding and consuming water has been critical for the survival of most animals. In this Primer, we discuss how the brain monitors the water content of...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Current biology 2016-12, Vol.26 (24), p.R1260-R1265
Main Authors: Leib, David E., Zimmerman, Christopher A., Knight, Zachary A.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Animals
Drinking - physiology
Humans
Thirst - physiology
Water-Electrolyte Balance - physiology
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Summary:Our bodies are mostly water, and this water is constantly being lost through evaporative and other means. Thus the evolution of robust mechanisms for finding and consuming water has been critical for the survival of most animals. In this Primer, we discuss how the brain monitors the water content of the body and then transforms that physical information into the motivation to drink. In this Primer, Leib et al. discuss the physiological basis of thirst, including the mechanisms by which the brain monitors the state of the blood, how dedicated neural circuits control drinking behavior in diverse contexts, and the interplay between thirst and other homeostatic processes, like hunger.
ISSN:0960-9822
1879-0445
DOI:10.1016/j.cub.2016.11.019