Pineal body: [TA] a small, unpaired, flattened body, shaped somewhat like a pinecone, attached at its anterior pole to the region of the posterior and habenular commissures and lying in the depression between the two superior colliculi below the splenium of the corpus callosum; it is a glandular structure, composed of follicles containing epithelioid cells and lime concretions called brain sand; despite its attachment to the brain, it appears to receive nerve fibers exclusively from the peripheral autonomic nervous system. It produces melatonin and serotonin. SYN: corpus pineale [TA], glandula pinealis [TA], pineal gland [TA], conarium, epiphysis cerebri, pinus.
Source: Stedman's Medical Spellchecker, © 2006 Lippincott Williams & Wilkins. All rights reserved.
Pineal body: a small endocrine gland in the brain; situated beneath the back part of the corpus callosum; secretes melatonin.
Source: WordNet 2.1
Pineal body: endocrine gland, located in the median plane, just posterior to the dorsal part of the dorsal thalamus and rostral to the superior colliculus; concerned with adjustment to circadian rhythms; light is thought to have an inhibitory effect on its secretory activity and darkness to be excitatory; impulses are relayed from the retina to the suprachiasmatic nucleus, then to the pineal body by way of the thoracic spinal cord; secretes melatonin, other biogenic amines, and neuropeptides.
Source: CRISP
These medical condition or symptom topics may be relevant to medical information for Pineal body:
Source - CRISP
Source - WordNet 2.1
Source - CRISP
Source - WordNet 2.1
The following list attempts to classify Pineal body into categories where each line is subset of the next.
Source: WordNet 2.1
Search to find out more about Pineal body:
|
What do you think about the features of this website? Take our user survey and have your say:
Tools & Services:
Medical Articles:
Search Specialists by State and City
By using this site you agree to our Terms of Use. Information provided on this site is for informational purposes only; it is not intended as a substitute for advice from your own medical team. The information on this site is not to be used for diagnosing or treating any health concerns you may have - please contact your physician or health care professional for all your medical needs. Please see our Terms of Use.
Copyright © 2009 Health Grades Inc. All rights reserved.
