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Science 15 February 1985:
Vol. 227. no. 4688, pp. 714 - 720
DOI: 10.1126/science.3881822

Articles

Science, Vol 227, Issue 4688, 714-720
Copyright © 1985 by American Association for the Advancement of Science


articles

Melatonin: a coordinating signal for mammalian reproduction?

L Tamarkin, CJ Baird, and OF Almeida

There is a daily rhythm in the production of the pineal hormone melatonin in all mammalian species. Production is stimulated by darkness and inhibited by light. This provides a signal reflecting the changing environmental lighting cycle. In seasonally breeding mammals that use changes in the photoperiod to time their reproductive cycles, temporal signals to the reproductive system are controlled by the daily rhythm in melatonin production.


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Putative melatonin receptors in a human biological clock.
S. Reppert, D. Weaver, S. Rivkees, and E. Stopa (1988)
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Phototherapy for Seasonal Affective Disorder.
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Neurobiology of Seasonal Affective Disorder and Phototherapy.
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Genetic control of melatonin synthesis in the pineal gland of the mouse.
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Science. ISSN 0036-8075 (print), 1095-9203 (online)