pinealocyte
Sign in to savePinealocytes are the main cells contained in the pineal gland, located behind the third ventricle and between the two hemispheres of the brain. The primary function of the pinealocytes is the secretion of the hormone melatonin, important in the regulation of circadian rhythms. In humans, the suprachiasmatic nucleus of the hypothalamus communicates the message of darkness to the pinealocytes, and as a result, controls the day and night cycle. It has been suggested that pinealocytes are derived from photoreceptor cells. Research has also shown the decline in the number of pinealocytes by way of
Key facts
- Cell.Name
- Pinealocyte
- Cell.Image
- Pineal gland - high mag.jpg
- Cell.Caption
- Cross-section of pineal gland displaying pinealocytes and other cells
- Cell.Latin
- pinealocytus,endocrinocitus pineale
- Cell.System
- Endocrine system
- Cell.Location
- Pineal gland
via Wikipedia infobox
Article
11 sectionsContents
- Types of pinealocytes
- Type 1 pinealocytes
- Type 2 pinealocytes
- Synaptic ribbons
- Evolution of pinealocytes
- Melatonin
- Regulation
- Synthesis
- See also
- References
- External links
Pinealocytes are the main cells contained in the pineal gland, located behind the third ventricle and between the two hemispheres of the brain. The primary function of the pinealocytes is the secretion of the hormone melatonin, important in the regulation of circadian rhythms. In humans, the suprachiasmatic nucleus of the hypothalamus communicates the message of darkness to the pinealocytes, and as a result, controls the day and night cycle. It has been suggested that pinealocytes are derived from photoreceptor cells. Research has also shown the decline in the number of pinealocytes by way of apoptosis as the age of the organism increases. There are two different types of pinealocytes, type I and type II, which have been classified based on certain properties including shape, presence or absence of infolding of the nuclear envelope, and composition of the cytoplasm.
==Types of pinealocytes==