| Suprachiasmatic nucleus | |
|---|---|
 Suprachiasmatic nucleus in green | |
| Details | |
| Identifiers | |
| Latin | nucleus suprachiasmaticus |
| MeSH | D013493 |
| NeuroNames | 384 |
| NeuroLex ID | birnlex_1325 |
| TA98 | A14.1.08.911 |
| TA2 | 5720 |
| FMA | 67883 |
| Anatomical terms of neuroanatomy | |
The suprachiasmatic nucleus or nuclei (SCN) is a small region of the brain in the hypothalamus, situated directly above the optic chiasm. It is responsible for regulating sleep cycles in animals.[1][2] Reception of light inputs from photosensitive retinal ganglion cells allow it to coordinate the subordinate cellular clocks of the body and entrain to the environment.[1][3] The neuronal and hormonal activities it generates regulate many different body functions in an approximately 24-hour cycle.
The SCN also interacts with many other regions of the brain. It contains several cell types, neurotransmitters and peptides, including vasopressin and vasoactive intestinal peptide.
Disruptions or damage to the SCN has been associated with different mood disorders and sleep disorders, suggesting the significance of the SCN in regulating circadian timing[4]
- ^ a b Hastings, Michael H.; Maywood, Elizabeth S.; Brancaccio, Marco (August 2018). "Generation of circadian rhythms in the suprachiasmatic nucleus". Nature Reviews Neuroscience. 19 (8): 453–469. doi:10.1038/s41583-018-0026-z. ISSN 1471-0048. PMID 29934559. S2CID 256745076.
- ^ Hastings, MH; Maywood, ES; Brancaccio, M (11 March 2019). "The Mammalian Circadian Timing System and the Suprachiasmatic Nucleus as Its Pacemaker". Biology. 8 (1). doi:10.3390/biology8010013. PMC 6466121. PMID 30862123.
- ^ Weaver, David R.; Emery, Patrick (2013-01-01), Squire, Larry R.; Berg, Darwin; Bloom, Floyd E.; du Lac, Sascha (eds.), "Chapter 39 - Circadian Timekeeping", Fundamental Neuroscience (Fourth Edition), San Diego: Academic Press, pp. 819–845, ISBN 978-0-12-385870-2, retrieved 2023-04-25
- ^ Ma, Melinda A.; Morrison, Elizabeth H. (2023), "Neuroanatomy, Nucleus Suprachiasmatic", StatPearls, Treasure Island (FL): StatPearls Publishing, PMID 31536270, retrieved 2023-04-25