Epifiza

Epifiza
Dijagram hipofize i epifize u ljudskom mozgu
Latinski	glandula pinealis
Gray's	subject #276 1277
Arterija	Posteriorna moždana arterija
Prekursor	Neuralni ektoderm
MeSH	Pineal+gland

Epifiza ili pinealna žlezda (lat. Glandula pinealis) je mala endokrina žlezda u mozgu, locirana između moždanih hemisfera. Kod čoveka ova žlezda je veličine zrna graška. Epifiza luči melatonin koji reguliše budnost i spavanje. Kod životinja melotonin je zadužen za funkciju polnog nagona, ponašanje, rast krzna, kamuflažu i zimski san. Glavne ćelije u epifizi koje luče hormon se zovu pinealociti.^[1][2]

1. ↑ Macchi M, Bruce J (2004). „Human pineal physiology and functional significance of melatonin”. Front Neuroendocrinol 25 (3–4): 177–95. DOI:10.1016/j.yfrne.2004.08.001. PMID 15589268. 
2. ↑ Arendt J, Skene DJ (2005). „Melatonin as a chronobiotic”. Sleep Med Rev 9 (1): 25–39. DOI:10.1016/j.smrv.2004.05.002. PMID 15649736. »Exogenous melatonin has acute sleepiness-inducing and temperature-lowering effects during 'biological daytime', and when suitably timed (it is most effective around dusk and dawn) it will shift the phase of the human circadian clock (sleep, endogenous melatonin, core body temperature, cortisol) to earlier (advance phase shift) or later (delay phase shift) times.«