Which part of the brain is responsible for regulating heart rate, hunger, body weight, and blood pressure?

The hypothalamus plays a crucial role in maintaining homeostasis in the body, which includes regulating vital functions such as heart rate, hunger, body weight, and blood pressure. This small but powerful region of the brain acts as a control center, integrating various physiological processes. It responds to internal and external signals to maintain balance within the body's systems, thus influencing appetite, metabolic processes, and autonomic functions like heart rate and blood pressure regulation.

In addition to these functions, the hypothalamus also regulates the release of hormones from the pituitary gland, further influencing growth, reproduction, and stress responses. Its ability to respond to changes such as energy levels or temperature helps ensure that the body operates optimally.

Other brain regions mentioned, such as the cerebellum, medulla oblongata, and hippocampus, have distinct functions that do not encompass the broad regulatory roles of the hypothalamus in homeostasis. The cerebellum is primarily involved in coordinating movement and balance; the medulla oblongata manages involuntary functions like respiration and cardiovascular control but is not as comprehensive as the hypothalamus in terms of hunger and body weight; and the hippocampus is primarily associated with memory and learning.