Question

Dr. DeRidder lesions, or damages, the ventromedial hypothalamus in one group of rats and the lateral hypothalamus in another group. What effect might he expect on the eating behavior of each group of rats? Both groups should begin overeating and become grossly obese. Rats with ventromedial lesions should begin overeating; rats with lateral lesions should stop eating. Both groups should stop eating and perhaps eventually starve to death. Rats with ventromedial lesions should stop eating; rats with lateral lesions should begin overeating.

Answer 1

Rats with ventromedial lesions should begin overeating; rats with lateral lesions should stop eating

Step-by-step explanation:

The feeling of hunger stimulates a desire to eat.

The lateral hypothalamus is responsible for making an organism hunger and craves for food upon receiving any stimulation or signal that causes hunger.

A damaged to the lateral hypothalamus would mean the organism would not be able to sense hunger and thus, there would be no desire to eat. Hence, the rats with lateral lesions should stop eating.

On the other hand, the ventromedial hypothalamus is responsible for quenching hunger and signaling to the organism that it is full, hence, it would stop eating. However, when the ventromedial hypothalamus is damaged, the organism would not be able to tell when to stop eating. Hence, rats with ventromedial lesions should begin overeating.