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Neural Control of Pineal Function in Mammals and Birds

  • Conference paper
The Pineal Gland

Part of the book series: Journal of Neural Transmission ((NEURAL SUPPL,volume 13))

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Summary

Pineal function in mammals is regulated by a system with four major neural components. The first is a retinohypothalamic projection from the ganglion cells of the retina to the suprachiasmatic nucleus of the hypothalamus. The suprachiasmatic nucleus appears to function as a circadian oscillating system projecting into the hypothalamus and this represents the second component. The third component is constituted of a brainstem pathway from the lateral hypothalamus to the intermediolateral cell column of the upper thoracic spinal cord. The fourth component is the preganglionic and postganglionic sympathetic system arising from the upper thoracic cord to innervate the superior cervical ganglion which, in turn, innervates the pineal gland. No direct neural control of the pineal gland has been demonstrated in birds.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Neurosciences M-008, University of California at San Diego, La Jolla, CA, 92093, USA

    Dr. R. Y. Moore

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  1. Dr. R. Y. Moore
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Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Pharmacology, Faculty of Medicine, Hadassah Medical Center, Jerusalem, Israel

    Isaac Nir

  2. Department of Anatomy, The University of Texas, San Antonio, Texas, USA

    Russel J. Reiter

  3. Laboratory of Neuroendocrine Regulation, Department of Nutrition and Food Science, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA

    Richard J. Wurtman

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© 1978 Springer-Verlag Wien

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Moore, R.Y. (1978). Neural Control of Pineal Function in Mammals and Birds. In: Nir, I., Reiter, R.J., Wurtman, R.J. (eds) The Pineal Gland. Journal of Neural Transmission, vol 13. Springer, Vienna. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-7091-4427-5_5

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-7091-4427-5_5

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Vienna

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-7091-4429-9

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-7091-4427-5

  • eBook Packages: Springer Book Archive

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