2-Minute Neuroscience: Melatonin

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Melatonin is a derivative of serotonin best known for its role as a hormone. In this video, I discuss various aspects of melatonin, including its synthesis, functions, and receptors.

TRANSCRIPT:

Melatonin is a derivative of serotonin best known for its role as a hormone. It is produced in a small endocrine gland in the brain called the pineal gland, as well as in the retina and a number of other organs and cells. The melatonin produced in the pineal gland, however, is thought to contribute most to circulating levels of melatonin in the bloodstream.

Synthesis of melatonin in the pineal gland, and resultant levels of melatonin in the bloodstream, exhibit a clear circadian rhythm, where they are highest at night. This nighttime melatonin production is stimulated by neural input from a structure called the suprachiasmatic nucleus, which acts as a master circadian clock for the brain. Indeed, the best understood function of melatonin is its role in regulating circadian rhythms. Rising melatonin levels at night are associated with lower body temperature and blood pressure, and an increase in tiredness. Melatonin production can be inhibited by exposure to blue wavelength light, which is part of the basis for advice to avoid using electronic devices close to bedtime. It is also thought that changes in melatonin levels can provide information about changes in night length, which may provide the brain with information about seasons. In some animals, this information may help to regulate seasonal changes in things like reproduction, hibernation, and migration. Melatonin is believed to have a number of other functions as well. It is thought, for example, to modulate immune system activity and to act as a free radical scavenger and antioxidant.

Two G-protein coupled melatonin receptors, MT1 and MT2, have been identified and found throughout the body. Melatonin also seems to bind to other sites, although the details of these mechanisms are still being investigated. Additionally, some of melatonin’s effects (like its antioxidant effects) are thought to be exerted independently of receptors.

REFERENCES:

Hardeland R, Pandi-Perumal SR, Cardinali DP. Melatonin. Int J Biochem Cell Biol. 2006 Mar;38(3):313-6. Epub 2005 Sep 27.

Reiter RJ, Tan DX, Galano A. Melatonin: exceeding expectations. Physiology (Bethesda). 2014 Sep;29(5):325-33. doi: 10.1152/physiol.00011.2014.

Reiter RJ, Tan DX, Fuentes-Broto L. Melatonin: a multitasking molecule. Prog Brain Res. 2010;181:127-51. doi: 10.1016/S0079-6123(08)81008-4.
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Exactly the video I need to study my physiology exam on monday!! Thanks for uploading this! Greets from a *Belgian physiotherapy student*

stijndebuf
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“Using electronic devices at night time messes up the melatonin cycle” says a video I’m watching at night time about why I can’t sleep

acharleston
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Damn near threw on a pair of shades 🕶 to watch this video at night 😅

CyniSocial
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Please do a video on cannabis, THC or cannabinoids! Your videos are so clear and concise, and much easier to understand than anything else I've found online

ameliaelise
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Easy and with quality... Amazing video 👏

alessadsouza
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so melatonin isn't a neurotransmitter or neurohormone? I always heard people refer to it as one of these.

madophelia
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i'm a high schooler and i'm having trouble deciding what i want to study in college. neuroscience seems interesting but i'm really not sure!

embersremembers
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Thank you for doing clear and concise resources for all us.
Keep up the good work and may God bless you.

kovacsadam
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Thank you for posting about this fascinating topic

aamirrazak
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Forever grateful for your videos. Thanks a lot!

CliveReyes
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My graveyard shift has destroyed my sleeping cycle. I get off at 5:30am and don’t sleep till 9:30-10am

jonram
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Does melotonin effect serotonin receptors? Im dealing with insomnia post discontinuation of Antidepressants. And I don't want anything that messes with my serotonin receptors as I'm withdrawing from it.

LittlePrincess_Queenie
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Please tell something about neurocysticercosis and epilepsy

cognizingbrains
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I took some melatonin and I was out for 11 hours.

DiggityDawg
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Dr. Joel Wallach new book, It's all in your head!, said he can stop, Tinnitus. He states it's cause by the The cranial nerves. Could you do a animation video on this subject. Many millions have this condition. He said supplements can stop it.

nighthiker
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Question, say you take melatonin but then 10 minutes later you realize you don't want to go to sleep is there something that you can take to counteract it? My job requires unscheduled hours like that and it makes it difficult for me to use melatonin because I never know if I might get something unexpectedly.

ThePeterDislikeShow
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I took 30 mg of melatonin last Saturday at precisely 12:32 pm I didn’t wake up *Fully* until Last Monday at 10:52 PM which means I slept for well over 24 hours and soon as I woke up I felt extremely lethargic soon as I drank water it felt like I could go to work for the entire 4 hours and deal overtime for 6 more hours and that I did and soon as I finished work I still had enough energy for a 3 hour workout 😭 sh* works on me

JohnAndAnime
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“… avoid screen time near bedtime”.
My brain: Bet I can keep you up for 3 hours in the dead of night.

dano
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The best is, Doctor's Best Melatonin, Natura Mint flavor.5MG.

nighthiker
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Should I take melatonin pills that expired in 2015

dachshund_gaming