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I think this article is in desperate need of images. The description of where this important gland sounds like ancient Greek to someone that knows nothing about the brain and it's anatomy. JoeHenzi 18:40, 5 Apr 2005 (UTC)

The third paragraph under "Functions" starts with, 'It also contains a substance which if injected intravenously causes fall of blood-pressure.' Is this supposed to refer to the correlation between blood pressure and Melatonin production?

The description in "Functions" is vague. Melatonin usally increases potassium channel conductance thereby slowing down the heart rate and possibly relaxing the endothelium (haven't checked this). moosattack

There is no reputable evidence that fluoride has any influence on humman sexual maturity. In fact, the contrary exists. So, let's just drop this line in the article until peer-reviewed data is available.

https://usahitman.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/11/calc_pineal_500.jpg — Preceding unsigned comment added by 172.56.12.76 (talk) 03:43, 9 April 2015 (UTC)[reply]

The following section has been totally unsourced for four (4) years. I've removed it from the article for that reason.

===Cancer===

Tumours of the pineal gland are called pinealomas. These tumours are rare and 50% to 70% are germinomas that arise from sequestered embryonic germ cells. Histologically they are similar to testicular seminomas and ovarian dysgerminomas.

A pineal tumour can compress the superior colliculi and pretectal area of the dorsal midbrain, producing Parinaud's syndrome. Pineal tumours also can cause compression of the cerebral aqueduct, resulting in a noncommunicating hydrocephalus.

These neoplasms are divided into two categories, pineoblastomas and pineocytomas,^{[citation needed]} based on their level of differentiation, which, in turn, correlates with their neoplastic aggressiveness. The clinical course of patients with pineocytomas is prolonged, averaging 7 years.^{[citation needed]} The manifestations are the consequence of their pressure effects and consist of visual disturbances, headache, mental deterioration, and sometimes dementia-like behaviour.^{[citation needed]}The position of these tumours makes them very difficult or impossible to remove surgically.

In addition, as behaviour has the British spelling, I've changed tumor to tumour.

Hordaland (talk) 12:49, 25 September 2015 (UTC)[reply]

@Hordaland how does this improve the article or help readers?? Being unsourced is not a reason to remove this content. If you have a specific section that you find questionable you can specifically remove that section. Some of this content doesn't even need citations ("Tumours of the pineal gland are called pinealomas"). It took me about 3 minutes to find enough sources to support most of the content in this section. Please consider improving content rather than just removing it in future (WP:PRESERVE). --Tom (LT) (talk) 23:19, 25 September 2015 (UTC)[reply]

Thanks. Should be OK now. --Hordaland (talk) 02:36, 26 September 2015 (UTC)[reply]

User:Sapientiacr thinks it's "tangential" to mention Descartes and the third eye in the lede. The WP:LEDE "should define the topic and summarize the body of the article with appropriate weight" - if we've got a full section on Descartes' theory and related takes on the pineal gland as a third eye, I don't think a short sentence is undue. --McGeddon (talk) 18:33, 30 October 2015 (UTC)[reply]

McGeddon Then add in the led: "However, most of it Descartes' basic anatomical and physiological were mistaken assumptions, not only by modern standards, but also in light of what was already known in his time.". In this way, then: "should define the topic and summarize the body of the article with appropriate weight" OK. --Sapientiacr (talk) 18:45, 30 October 2015 (UTC)[reply]