Get Pineal Gland Histology

The pineal gland, conarium, or epiphysis cerebri, is a small endocrine gland in the brain of most vertebrates. The pineal gland produces melatonin, a serotonin-derived hormone which modulates sleep patterns in both circadian and seasonal cycles. The shape of the gland resembles a pine cone, which gives it its name.

Histology. The pineal gland is made up of follicules and lines of pinealocytes and glial tissue [52].

The pineal gland, also called pineal body or epiphysis cerebri, is a small cone-shaped structure that extends posteriorly from the third ventricle of the brain. The pineal gland consists of portions of neurons, neuroglial cells, and specialized secretory cells called pinealocytes.

The pineal gland is composed mainly of pinealocytes that release melatonin, astrocytes, microglia, endothelial cells, and, in some species, a small number of neurons [18]. Based on their nuclear characteristics, adult rat pinealocytes have been classified into two types by Calvo and Boya [44].

Microscopic Anatomy The principal cell of the pineal gland is the pineal parenchymal cell or pinocyte. This cell is a specialized neuron related to retinal rods and cones. The pinocyte is surrounded by a stroma of fibrillary astrocytes, which interact with adjoining blood vessels to form part of the blood-pial barrier.

The pineal gland, also called pineal body or epiphysis cerebri, is a small cone-shaped structure that extends posteriorly from the third ventricle of the brain. The pineal gland consists of portions of neurons, neuroglial cells, and specialized secretory cells called pinealocytes.

The cells that make up the tissue of the pineal gland in humans and other mammals include hormone-producing pinealocytes and the supportive interstitial cells. Nerve cells, or neurons, might influence the pinealocytes by secreting specific chemicals called neurotransmitters.