PSY397H1 Lecture Notes - Lecture 4: Corticosterone, Freerunning, Transect
Document Summary
Circadian organization in mammals: circadian organization in non-vertebrates. No class next monday due to thanksgiving holiday. The eye produces a lot of melatonin which does not get into circulation. Whole animal relies on whole combination of rhythmicity by scn and pineal (both photosensitive) --> both have clocks and both cannot live without each other. This is in some of the vertebrates --> diff degrees of which pineal is important. Norepinephrine used to control enzyme to convert serotonin into melatonin. In some animals in each class: you have investment of clock function in the scn. In some, pineal loses function as master oscillator and becomes slave of scn. In these species, scn is rhythmic even without the pineal. Here, the pineal and other deep brain functions are no longer light receptive. There are other photoreceptors in the retina besides rods and cones --> extraretinal cells that are responsible for circadian function.
