Dr. Pasantes is investigating how the brain regulates patterns of eating behavior. She performs an experiment and finds that lesioning a particular brain region causes rodents to completely stop eating. What area of the brain has Dr. Pasantes lesioned?

Lateral hypothalmus.

Explanation:

Lateral hypothalamus located in the posterior hypothalamus is the part of the brain that regulates food intake / ingestive behaviour and food metabolism. Generally cells located in the lateral hypothalamus are sensitive to food stimulus (from taste buds) in the mouths, and changed this sensitivity is altered as the ingested food moves through the alimentary tracts.

The above functions of lateral hypothalamus has been associated with two metabolic peptides; Melanin - concentrating hormones, (MCH) and Orexin. When MCH was administered centrally to animal it increases significantly food pattern behaviours and sensitivity.

Therefore lesson in lateral hypothalamus which affected expression of these peptides by lateral hypothalamus results in stoppage of food intake, loss of sensitivity of the cells of lateral hypothalamus to food stimulus and increase loss of weight in the affected animal.

Thus Lateral hypothalamus, is concerned with patterns of eating behaviours.