Endocrine and behavioral regulation of water and salt intake in vertebrates

Maintaining body fluid homeostasis is an important challenge for animals. In the most basic terms, the amount of water in the body is a function of the amount excreted and the amount consumed. A variety of physiological substrates play important roles in regulating the rate of fluid excretion, but the other side of the equation, the amount consumed, is driven almost exclusively by ingestive behaviors. This article focuses on the interactions of hormones and the nervous system that drive intake of water and salt to defend body fluid homeostasis.