Anatomy

The pineal gland is located as part of the Epithalamus on the posterior wall of the third ventricle above the quadrigeminal plate.

Histology

The pineal gland is surrounded by a connective tissue capsule. The neuroendocrine cells of the pineal gland, the pinealocytes, are divided into lobules by connective tissue septa.

Hormones

Pinealocytes synthesize and secrete indoles and peptides, particularly α-melanocyte-stimulating hormone (α-MSH) and melatonin[^1].

Figure

Anatomical drawing of the pineal gland — Schematic depiction of the pineal gland (colored red) on an anatomical drawing from Sobotta's Atlas and Textbook of Human Anatomy, 1908 (Figure 650).

Posterior view of the tectum, Rhoton — Anatomical illustration of the quadrigeminal plate with and without the corresponding vascular structures. Illustration adapted from Albert Rhoton 2002 Neurosurgery.

Third ventricle, sagittal view — Sagittal section through the third ventricle. Figure adapted from Albert Rhoton 2002 in Neurosurgery.

Imaging

Glandula pinealis on MRI — Visualization of the pineal gland on a sagittal T1-weighted sequence from a 7 Tesla MRI.