Pineal gland as an endocrine gravitational lunasensor: Manifestation of moon-phase dependent morphological changes in mice
Abstract
We found that some morphological properties of the pineal gland and submandibular salivary gland of mice are significantly distinct at the new and full moon. We suppose that the differences are initiated by the displacements of the electron-dense concretions in the secretory vesicles of pinealocytes. This presumably occurs under the influence of the gravitational field, which periodically changes during different phases of the moon. It seems that the pinealocyte is both an endocrine and gravisensory cell. A periodic secretion of the pineal gland probably stimulates, in a lunaphasic mode, the neuroendocrine system that, in turn, periodically exerts influence on different organs of the body. The observed effect probably serves, within the lifelong clock of a brain, to control development and aging in time.
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The declination cycle acts through a medium other than moonlight, such as gravitational forces or gravitational forces' effects on other media such as the earth's magnetic field or atmosphere.
“The fact that the period of the declination cycle differs slightly from the period of the spring–neap cycle, whose every second peak coincides with the full moon, would seem to indicate that the declination cycle acts through a medium other than moonlight, such as, for example, gravitational forces, or more likely, perhaps, gravitational forces’ effects on other media, such as the earth’s magnetic”
From Bipolar mood cycles and lunar tidal cycles (2018) · cites this paper as [23]
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- Authors
- Gerasimov, A. V., Kostyuchenko, V. P., Solovieva, A. S., & Olovnikov, A. M.
- Affiliations
- Siberian State Medical University (RU)
- Russian Academy of Sciences (RU)
- Corresponding author
- Olovnikov, A. M.
- Venue
- Biochemistry (Moscow)
- Publisher
- Pleiades Publishing Ltd
- Published
- 2014-10
- Volume
- 79
- Issue
- 10
- Pages
- 1069-1074
- ISSN
- 0006-2979 (ISSN-L)
- 1608-3040
- OpenAlex
- W2149876025
- Semantic Scholar
- 52ab3134e165b9c9c3144629541a2ae1e04324b9
- Cited by
- 21
- References
- 20
- Citations by year
- 2026: 1 · 2025: 3 · 2024: 1 · 2023: 3 · 2022: 1 · 2021: 1 · 2020: 3 · 2019: 2 · 2018: 4 · 2017: 1 · 2015: 1
- FWCI
- 0.32
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Licence
- Locations
- Biochemistry (Moscow) (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Topics
- Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Endocrine and Autonomic Systems › Circadian rhythm and melatonin
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Physiology › Spaceflight effects on biology
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Physiology › Biofield Effects and Biophysics
- Keywords
- pineal gland, lunar phases, gravity field, gravity sensing, pinealocytes, secretory vesicles, submandibular gland, neuroendocrine system, circalunar rhythm, aging, development (biology), mice
- MeSH terms
- Animals, Cell Count, Male, Mice, Inbred Strains, Pineal Gland, Submandibular Gland, Moon
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