⚖️ Leptin and Ghrelin: The Hormones That Balance Hunger and Fullness
Explore how leptin from fat cells and ghrelin from the stomach act as opposing hormonal signals that regulate hunger, satiety, and long-term body weight through the brain's arcuate nucleus.
This simulator demonstrates how leptin and ghrelin levels shift with fat mass and meal timing, and how the arcuate nucleus integrates these opposing signals into a net hunger or satiety output.
🔬 What It Demonstrates
This simulator demonstrates how leptin and ghrelin levels shift with fat mass and meal timing, and how the arcuate nucleus integrates these opposing signals into a net hunger or satiety output.
🎮 How to Use
Adjust body fat mass and time since last meal to see how leptin and ghrelin levels change, then observe how POMC/CART and AgRP/NPY neuron activity responds, including the effect of simulated leptin resistance.
💡 Did You Know?
Did you know that people who lose significant weight often show a drop in leptin and a rise in ghrelin that can persist for a year or more, which is part of why the body seems to fight to regain lost weight.
Explore how leptin from fat cells and ghrelin from the stomach act as opposing hormonal signals that regulate hunger, satiety, and long-term body weight through the brain's arcuate nucleus.
3D · Three.js / WebGL renderer · 60 FPS target · runs fully client-side, no install