The physiological regulation of thirst and fluid intake.

Howard Florey Institute of Experimental Physiology and Medicine, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Victoria 3010, Australia.

Thirst is important for maintaining body fluid homeostasis and may arise from deficits in either intracellular or extracellular fluid volume. Neural signals arising from osmotic and hormonal influences on the lamina terminalis may be integrated within the brain, with afferent information relayed from intrathoracic baroreceptors via the hindbrain to generate thirst.

PMID: 14739394 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]