Article
Article
Melatonin
Article By:
Blask, David E. Laboratory of Experimental Neuroendocrinology/Oncology, Bassett Research Institute, Cooperstown, New York.
Last reviewed:January 2020
DOI:https://doi.org/10.1036/1097-8542.900164
Show previous versions
- Melatonin, published June 2014:Download PDF
Get Adobe Acrobat Reader
A hormone secreted primarily by the pineal gland in the vertebrate brain that conveys information about time that influences reproduction and circadian physiology. Derived from the essential amino acid tryptophan, melatonin (C13H16N2O2; see illustration) was discovered in 1958 and was originally named for its ability to disperse pigments in skin cells of the frog (it has since been shown to act on melanophores in the skins of amphibians and reptiles and to concentrate the melanin in the center of the cells, lightening the body surface). It is an indoleamine molecule that is found widely throughout nature. See also: Brain; Hormone; Pigmentation; Pineal gland
The content above is only an excerpt.
About AccessScience
AccessScience provides the most accurate and trustworthy scientific information available.
Recognized as an award-winning gateway to scientific knowledge, AccessScience is an amazing online resource that contains high-quality reference material written specifically for students. Contributors include more than 10,000 highly qualified scientists and 46 Nobel Prize winners.
MORE THAN 8700 articles covering all major scientific disciplines and encompassing the McGraw-Hill Encyclopedia of Science & Technology and McGraw-Hill Yearbook of Science & Technology
115,000-PLUS definitions from the McGraw-Hill Dictionary of Scientific and Technical Terms
3000 biographies of notable scientific figures
MORE THAN 19,000 downloadable images and animations illustrating key topics
ENGAGING VIDEOS highlighting the life and work of award-winning scientists
SUGGESTIONS FOR FURTHER STUDY and additional readings to guide students to deeper understanding and research
LINKS TO CITABLE LITERATURE help students expand their knowledge using primary sources of information
