The pineal gland is an endocrine organ located in the cranial vault. Its endocrine function has been extensively studied and has been found to be the cause of important regulatory functions in the physiology of the human body. Although the initial approaches to the suggestive action of this organ on the organism were of a philosophical and spiritual nature, in the last century technological advances have made it possible to clearly elucidate its effector function as an endocrine gland. In this order of ideas, the objective of this review is to address basic and recent descriptions of the physiology of the pineal gland.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.