If a key part of the ____ is destroyed, an animal will lose all interest in food and may well starve to death.

A) medulla
B) cerebellum
C) thalamus
D) hypothalamus

Hypothalamus

An area of the brain situated beneath the thalamus, which regulates the autonomic nervous system and the pituitary gland's operations, managing bodily functions such as body temperature, thirst, hunger, and various other systems that maintain internal balance.

Starve

To suffer or die from extreme or prolonged lack of food.

Medulla

A section of the brainstem involved in autonomic functions, such as breathing, heart rate, and blood pressure.