EVERYDAY SCIENCE

Detailed explanation-1: -Melatonin is a hormone that’s mainly produced by your pineal gland. The importance of pineal melatonin in humans is not clear, but many researchers believe it may help to synchronize circadian rhythms in different parts of your body.

Detailed explanation-2: -Melatonin is the only known hormone synthesized by the pineal gland and is released in response to darkness hence the name, “hormone of darkness” [10]. Melatonin provides a circadian and seasonal signal to the organisms in vertebrates.

Detailed explanation-3: -In humans and most diurnal mammals, melatonin is secreted at night with a robust circadian rhythm and maximum plasma levels that occur around 3 to 4 AM. The daily rise of melatonin secretion correlates with a subsequent increase in sleep propensity about 2 hours before the person’s regular bedtime.

Detailed explanation-4: -The pineal gland or epiphysis synthesizes and secretes melatonin, a structurally simple hormone that communicates information about environmental lighting to various parts of the body. Ultimately, melatonin has the ability to entrain biological rhythms and has important effects on reproductive function of many animals.

Detailed explanation-5: -Suprachiasmatic nucleus output via the human pineal gland The pineal gland, or epiphysis cerebri, is a key structure of the circadian system. It contains pinealocytes, which produce melatonin (for references see Swaab, 2003).