Pineal Eye (Noun)
Meaning
A sensory structure capable of light reception located on the dorsal side of the diencephalon in various reptiles.
Classification
Nouns denoting body parts.
Examples
- Turtles, lizards, and snakes possess a pineal eye that helps them detect changes in light intensity, but it is not capable of forming images like the lateral eyes.
- In modern species, the pineal eye is thought to be involved in regulating circadian rhythms, an internal clock that responds to light-dark cycles.
- Some species of lizards have a highly developed pineal eye, while others have reduced or lost this sensory structure over time.
- During embryonic development, the pineal eye forms from a diverticulum of the roof of the diencephalon, which eventually differentiates into the organ.
- The pineal eye in reptiles is often associated with a light-sensitive organ, the parietal eye, which is also known as the third eye.