Hunger and thirst can be stimulated artificially The thirst drive is under the control of the hypothalamus. When this area is stimulated artificially, an animal drinks. When the organs of the body need water, the hypothalamus is stimulated and it, in turn, brings about the drinking response. The tendency to seek and eat food is the hunger drive. We get hungry in many circumstances.
Psychologists are interested in the mechanisms underlying the hunger drive.
The hypothalamus has a great influence not only over drinking, but over eating behavior as well. In the hypothalamus, there are two nerve centers whose actions have opposite effects. If one of these, the feeding center, is stimulated, an animal will eat whether he is hungry or not. If the feeding center is removed, the animal will not eat. The other hypothalamic center is called the satiety center.