Pineal gland, Biology

Assignment Help:

PINEAL GLAND (EPIPHYSIS CEREBRI) -

  • It develops from the ectoderm of the embryo.
  • The pineal gland is located between the cerebral hemispheres, where it protrudes from the roof of the third ventricle.
  • The pineal gland is a small rounded body which consists of pineal cells and supporting glial cells.

Hormone - Melatonin concentration in the blood appears to flow a diurnal (day-night) cycle as it arises, in the evening and through the night and drops to a low around noon. Because of this light mediated response, the pineal gland may act as a kind of "biological clock" which may produce circadian rhythms (variations following a 24 hour cycle).

  • Melatonin lightens skin colour in certain animals and regulates working of gonads (testes and ovaries).
  • Light falling on the retina of the eye decreases melatonin production, darkness stimulates melatonin synthesis.

                      Girls blind from birth attain puberty earlier than normal, apparently because there is no                             inhibitory effect of melatonin on ovarian function.

  • Serotonin, a neurotransmitter found in other locations in the brain, is also found in the pineal gland. Research evidence is accumulating to support the idea that the pineal gland may be involved in regulating cyclic phenomena in the body.
  • In man the pineal gland starts to calcify at about the time of puberty. Such calcium deposits are called the brain sand.

Related Discussions:- Pineal gland

What is intermittent st depression, What is Intermittent ST Depression ? ...

What is Intermittent ST Depression ? Ans. Several patients progress from variable ST-segment depression, often associated with respiration, to the classic ST-segment chang

Explain elastic fibers would not wrinkle, As we age, our skin wrinkles due ...

As we age, our skin wrinkles due to change in collagen and elastic fibers in the dermis and a decrease in their production. Explain why topical application of collagen and elastic

Dietary recommendations proposed by whom, Q. Dietary recommendations propos...

Q. Dietary recommendations proposed by WHOM? We learnt about their etiological factors, metabolic alterations, clinical anifestations and dietary management of the disease of h

Interrupted suture technique-prosthetic aortic valve, Interrupted suture te...

Interrupted suture technique: Synthetic braided 2 '0' sutures (ethibond) with 17mtn needles on either end and a pledget is used. Alternate green and white sutures are taken aft

Explain about the dehydration or drying, Explain about the Dehydration or D...

Explain about the Dehydration or Drying? The technique of drying is the oldest method of food preservation practiced by mankind. The removal of moisture, which is actually dehy

Human anatomy-physiology , Human anatomy: Human anatomy is a branch of bio...

Human anatomy: Human anatomy is a branch of biology which, with deals with human physiology and biochemistry. It is mainly concerned with the scientific study of the internal stru

Respiration in animals, write the raspiration of different types of animal...

write the raspiration of different types of animals of different phylum

Determine about the diseases sleep attacks, Determine about the diseases Sl...

Determine about the diseases Sleep attacks These are brief, often irresistible, episodes of sleep, probably slow wave, NREM, naplike sleep that last about 15 minutes and can oc

Tetrasporic embryo sacs, Tetrasporic Embryo Sacs In this group neithe...

Tetrasporic Embryo Sacs In this group neither of the meiotic divisions is accompanied by wall formation so that at the end of meiosis all the four haploid nuclei remain in a

Carbohydrate digestion, Carbohydrate Digestion Simple sugars like gluc...

Carbohydrate Digestion Simple sugars like glucose and fructose can be absorbed and metabolised directly but disaccharides such as sucrose or lactose and polysaccharides such a

Write Your Message!

Captcha
Free Assignment Quote

Assured A++ Grade

Get guaranteed satisfaction & time on delivery in every assignment order you paid with us! We ensure premium quality solution document along with free turntin report!

All rights reserved! Copyrights ©2019-2020 ExpertsMind IT Educational Pvt Ltd