The hypothalamus has been referred to as a “pharmacological museum” (Goodman and Gilman,
‘55) by virtue of the plethora of neurotransmitters that it contains. Some of these
neurotransmitters are found in the terminals of axons that originate from neurons outside the
hypothalamus, but most are synthesized within the hypothalamus itself. The list of putative
neurotransmitters includes the “classical” transmitters ACh, GABA, glutamate, serotonin,
dopamine, and norepinephrine as well as literally dozens of peptides that have been identified in
recent years.