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The hypothalamus is an integral part of the substance of the brain. A small cone-shaped structure, it projects downward, ending in the pituitary (infundibular) stalk, a tubular connection to the pituitary gland. The round bony cavity containing the pituitary gland is called the sella turcica. The posterior portion of the hypothalamus, called the median eminence, contains many neurosecretory cells. Important adjacent structures include the mammillary bodies, the third ventricle, and the optic chiasm, the last being of particular concern to physicians because pressure from expanding tumours or inflammations in the hypothalamus or pituitary gland may result in severe visual defects or total blindness. Above the hypothalamus is the thalamus. (For discussion of the function of these surrounding structures, see the nervous system.) This is a longer term for it but it is the correct term!
