Last Updated: Mar 17, 2023
The pineal body, also known as the epiphysis cerebri, is a small gland in your brain located beneath the back half of the corpus callosum. The pineal gland is an endocrine gland that produces the hormone melatonin. The primary function of your pineal gland is to assist govern the circadian cycle of sleep and waking by secreting melatonin.
The pineal gland is formed like a little pinecone, thus the name ('pine' -al gland). It is, however, pronounced 'pin-ee-Uhl.'. The pineal gland was the latest component of the endocrine system to be discovered, and it is also the least understood.You can find your pineal gland near your brain's midsection. It sits in a cleft immediately above the thalamus, a brain area responsible for coordinating a variety of sensory processes.
The fundamental function of the pineal gland is to receive information about the daily light-dark (day-night) cycle from your eyes' retinas. In response to this information, it manufactures and secretes melatonin, with larger quantities at night (during the dark hours) and lower levels during the day. The retinas in your eyes are responsible for providing this information (during light hours).
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