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The pineal gland, or epiphysis, is a small endocrine gland located near the middle of the brain.
The pineal body is located above the superior colliculus and behind and beneath the stria medullaris , between the laterally positioned thalamic bodies. The pineal body is part of the epithalamus .
The pineal gland is a midline structure and is often seen in plain skull X-rays as it is often calcified.
The pineal gland consists mainly of pinealocytes, but four other cell types have been identified: interstitial cells, perivascular phagocyte, pineal neurons and peptidergic neuron-like cells.
It is responsible for the production of melatonin, which has a role in regulating the circadian rhythm. Melatonin is a derivative of the amino acid tryptophan. The production of melatonin by the pineal gland is stimulated by darkness and inhibited by light. Light can be detected by the suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN) which has directs connections to the retina. Fibers extends from SCN to the spinal cord into superior cervical ganglia and from there into the pineal gland.
In fact ancient amphibians such as Ichthyostega, which existed in the Late Devonian Period, had an orifice on the top of the skull through which the pineal gland was exposed and received light input. Over the course of time and for unknown reasons, the pineal gland migrated into the skull of later tetrapodsThe group of vertebrates that includes amphibians, reptiles (including birds), and mammals. So called, from tetra- ( Greek) meaning "four" and -pod (Greek) meaning "foot," i. four feet or legs. and the skull orifice sealed. Modern birds and reptiles have been found to express the phototranducing pigment melanopsinMelanopsin is a photopigment found in the ganglion cells of the retina that is involved in the regulation of Circadian rhythms. Light stimulates the melanopsin-containing ganglion cells within the retina, which causes the production of glutamate, which st in the pineal gland.
It has been found that the pineal gland manufactures trace amounts of the psychedelicThis entry pertains to the word "psychedelic", its origin and uses. For general information on psychedelic drugs, see the entry for the synonym, hallucinogenic drug. The word psychedelic is a neologism coined from the Greek words for "mind," ψ&upsilon chemical dimethyltryptamineDimethyltryptamine DMT is a white, crystalline solid and was first synthesised in 1931. It is found in numerous species of plants. South American shamans have been ingesting DMT in the form of Ayahuasca or snuffs for hundreds of years. DMT is a very power, or DMT. This endogeous chemical in the human brain is believed to play a role in dreaming and possibly near-death experiences and other mystical states. It has been suggested by the researcher Jace Callaway that DMT is connected with visual dreaming.
Rene Descartes called the pineal gland the "seat of the soul", believing it was unique in the anatomy of the human brain in being a structure not duplicated on the right and left sides.The pineal gland is occasionally referred to as the "third eye" in occult religions, and is believed by some to be a dormant organ that can be awakened to enable telepathicTelepathy from the Greek , tele "distant", and , patheia "feeling", is the supposed ability to communicate information from one mind to another, and is one form of extra-sensory perception or anomalous cognition. This information is generally reported as communication.
"Consult your pineal gland" is a common saying in DiscordianismDiscordianism has been described as both an elaborate joke disguised as a religion, and a religion disguised as an elaborate joke. Some of its followers make the claim that it is "a religion disguised as a joke disguised as a religion". Others view it as, a religion which emphasizes chaos. Discordians seem to regard the pineal gland as the source of answers to life's most difficult questions.
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