Hunger

Hunger manifests as a strong desire to eat. The concentration of glucose, amino acids, and other nutrients in the blood, as well as the volume of food in the stomach, influence it. The stimulation of the feeding center causes hunger to arise. Located in the hypothalamus, the feeding center receives signals from the empty digestive tract and the blood when nutrient concentrations decrease. Changes in hypothalamic function can lead to constant feelings of hunger.

Pathology of hunger sensation includes its intensification, weakening, or complete disappearance. A constant feeling of hunger is called bulimia. The opposite of hunger is the sensation of satiety. Appetite relates to the sensation of hunger and is felt as hunger though they are two completely different phenomena. Hunger is a normal physiological need, requiring very little to satisfy, while appetite demands much more.

The peptide hormone ghrelin, often termed the hunger hormone, is secreted by stomach cells and influences the feeling of hunger. Higher levels of ghrelin in the blood cause a greater feeling of hunger. Ghrelin levels increase between meals and decrease after eating. All developed animals experience the sensation of hunger, which serves to help obtain sufficient nutrients.

Source | Glossary of Most Commonly Used Biomedical Terms and Concepts | Lithuanian University of Health Sciences | Academician Professor Antanas Praškevičius, Professor Laima Ivanovienė