melatonin
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mel·a·to·nin
(mĕl′ə-tō′nĭn)n.
An animal hormone, C13H16N2O2, derived from serotonin and produced by the pineal gland. It stimulates color change in the skin of amphibians and reptiles and plays a role in regulating circadian rhythms and reproductive cycles in mammals. It is also found in plants and fungi.
American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
melatonin
(ˌmɛləˈtəʊnɪn)n
(Biochemistry) the hormone-like secretion of the pineal gland, causing skin colour changes in some animals and thought to be involved in reproductive function
[C20: probably from mela(nocyte) + (sero)tonin]
Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014
mel•a•to•nin
(ˌmɛl əˈtoʊ nɪn)n.
a hormone secreted by the pineal gland in inverse proportion to the amount of light received by the retina, important in regulating biorhythms.
Random House Kernerman Webster's College Dictionary, © 2010 K Dictionaries Ltd. Copyright 2005, 1997, 1991 by Random House, Inc. All rights reserved.
melatonin
A hormone influencing the onset of puberty, the menstrual cycle, and the body’s daily activity cycle. See also pineal gland.
Dictionary of Unfamiliar Words by Diagram Group Copyright © 2008 by Diagram Visual Information Limited
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Noun | 1. | melatonin - hormone secreted by the pineal gland endocrine, hormone, internal secretion - the secretion of an endocrine gland that is transmitted by the blood to the tissue on which it has a specific effect |
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Translations
melatonin
n melatoninaEnglish-Spanish/Spanish-English Medical Dictionary Copyright © 2006 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.