The Pineal Gland, Circadian Rhythms and Photoperiodism
| Autor: | J. Arendt |
|---|---|
| Rok vydání: | 1997 |
| Předmět: |
photoperiodism
endocrine system medicine.medical_specialty Chronobiology Biology Melatonin receptor Melatonin Pineal gland medicine.anatomical_structure Endocrinology Light effects on circadian rhythm Internal medicine medicine Circadian rhythm Receptor hormones hormone substitutes and hormone antagonists medicine.drug |
| Zdroj: | Handbook of Experimental Pharmacology ISBN: 9783642082658 |
| Popis: | The pineal gland serves the same function in all species studied to date. Essentially it conveys information concerning light-dark cycles to body physiology for the organisation of seasonal and circadian rhythms. The pattern of secretion of the pineal hormone melatonin (N-acetyl-5-methoxytryptamine) forms the basis for this message, and a considerable amount of information has accumulated regarding the coding of photoperiodic information by melatonin. How the message is read at a cellular and molecular level remains largely unclear; however recently great strides have been made in identifying, localising and characterising melatonin receptors. The current development of melatonin agonists and antagonists will no doubt help to clarify the pharmacology of melatonin. |
| Databáze: | OpenAIRE |
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