PINEAL GLAND

B Y: D E L G A D O ,
DIVINE GRACE
PINEAL GLAND
• Also called Epiphysis Cerebri.
• The pineal gland is a pine cone shaped gland of the
endocrine system.
• The gland is a conical, grey body measuring 5 to
8mm in length and 3 to 5mm in its greatest width.
• A structure of the diencephalon of the brain, the
pineal gland produces several important hormones
including melatonin.
• Melatonin influences sexual development and
sleep-wake cycles.
• The pineal gland is composed of cells called
pinealocytes and cells of the nervous system
called glial cells.
• The pineal gland connects the endocrine system
with the nervous system in that it converts nerve
signals from the sympathetic system of the
peripheral nervous system into hormone signals.
Function:
The pineal gland is involved in several functions of
the body including:
Secretion of the Hormone Melatonin
Regulation of Endocrine Functions
Conversion of Nervous System Signals to
Endocrine Signals
Causes Feeling of Sleepiness
Influences Sexual Development
HISTOLOGICAL ORGANIZATION

Pia Mater - the delicate inner layer of connective tissue that

covers the brain.
Surrounding the pineal body.
which functions as its capsule and which sends connective
tissue septa into the pineal body, subdividing it into
lobules.
In the pineal we find two cell types: pinealocytes (about
95% of the cells; large, light and round nuclei) and
astrocytes (glial cells; dark, elongated nuclei).
Aside from the cells the pineal gland also contains
sand - well - brain sand (or acervuli cerebri or - just
for good measure - corpora arenacea).
These are calcium-containing concretions in the
pineal parenchyma, which increase in size and
number with age. These concretions are
radioopaque, and, since the pineal is located in the
midline of the brain, they provide a good midline-
marker.
They have no other known function.
CONTINUATION..
Interstitial cells – cells of the second type found among the
pinealocytes and in greater number in the stalk of the
gland.
Their nuclei are elongated and stain more deeply than
those of the pinealocytes.
They resemble the astrocytes of the brain in having long-
cell process and an abundance of intermediate filaments
throughout the cytoplasm.
The pineal gland of humans, and a few other species,
concretions called CORPORA ARENACEA or BRAIN
SAND.
These bodies consist of calcium phosphates and
carbonates in an organic matrix deposited in
concentric layer.
They are not regarded as pathological fir they appear
in early childhood and increase in size and number
with advancing age.
Calcified corpora arenacea are visible in in X-rays or
CAT scans of the head in 80% of individuals of 30
years of age.
The most prominent secretory product of the pineal
body is melatonin.
The cocktail of substances released by the
pinealocytes can have several functions:
 they may decrease secretory activity in most other
endocrine glands (in part indirectly, by way of influencing
hypothalamic neurones),
 and they may "delay" puberty through antigonadotrophic
effects.
Secretory activity in the pineal gland is stimulated by
darkness and inhibited by light.
Via the effects of pineal hormones on the
adenohypophysis and sex hormones it is
likely that the pineal body is involved in
phenomena associated with the circadian
rhythm and seasonal phenomena (e.g.
seasonal affective disorder, SAD).
The pineal body is innervated by
postganglionic sympathetic fibres derived
from the superior cervical ganglion.
EPIPHYSIS (PINEAL GLAND)
Stained with haematoxylin and eosin
1 - pinealocytes
2 - pineal sand (salts of calcium,
magnesium and silicon
EPIPHYSIS (PINEAL GLAND)
Stained with haematoxylin and eosin
1 - pinealocytes
2 - pineal sand (salts of calcium, magnesium
and silicon
3 - blood vessels