Pineal gland

The pineal gland (epiphysis) refers to the epithalamus located in the midbrain, and located in a shallow groove that separates the upper mounds of the apex of the midbrain from each other. What is this body and what is its role in the human body?

Like many other human organs, the pineal gland has not been fully studied yet, but its important role in the functioning of our body is not denied by anyone. The shape of this gland can be ovoid, globular and even conical. The average weight of the gland only increases during the first year of life from 7 to 100 mg. By the age of 10, its mass has doubled, after which it practically does not change throughout life. Its weight in adults is about 0.2 g, and the length can vary from 8 to 15 mm. The width of this organ also varies in different people: from 6 to 10 mm, and the thickness - from 4 to 6 mm. At the very base of the gland, facing the cavity of the ventricle 3, there is a small depression. The pineal gland is covered on the outside with a connective tissue capsule, which contains a significant number of blood capillaries that anastomose with each other. From this capsule inside the body penetrate the trabeculae, consisting of connective tissue. They divide the parenchyma of the pineal body into separate lobules. Blood is supplied to the gland by the posterior and upper cerebellar arteries. Its veins are connected to a large vein of the brain or its tributaries. Nervous sympathetic fibers penetrate the blood vessels in the tissues of this organ.

The parenchyma of this gland consists of cellular elements, contained in it a huge amount. They are glandular specialized cells called pinealocytes (pineocytes). In less quantity, the parenchyma contains gliatae (lyal cells). In the pineal gland in adults and especially in older people, deposits of unusual form (sand bodies) are often found. These deposits contribute to the fact that the gland becomes like a spruce cone or a mulberry fruit. It is because of its appearance that this gland got its name. The endocrine role of the pineal gland lies in the fact that its cells secrete special substances that inhibit the activity of the pituitary gland. His activity is especially active before puberty. This gland plays a direct role in the regulation of virtually all types of metabolism in the human body. Commonly known and such functions of the pineal gland as the inhibition of the release of growth hormones and the development of tumors, the impact on sexual behavior and sexual development.

The topic of "activation of the pineal gland" is increasingly being discussed lately. For many people it is absolutely unclear how to activate the gland of internal secretion and why do it? Many adherents of alternative medicine believe that the pineal gland not only fulfills its physiological functions (development of melatonin, growth hormone, regulation of the biological rhythms of the body), but it is also the place where the soul enters (and exits) the body. They insist that the pineal gland, the activation of which can be achieved by special practitioners through conscious use, can give a person control over his position in space and in time.

Although specialists can neither confirm nor disprove the given views of some people, they notice that every year many people have real changes in the pineal gland. Some say that this indicates the emergence of a new type of person, although all this can not be confirmed at the moment.

Many proponents of the theory of "activation of the pineal gland" offer their clients various ways based on ancient esoteric practices, doctors do not recommend exposing their bodies to dubious and unverified experiments.