Melatonin

High school (ages 12+)
Human Body

Name:

Date:

Step 1 · Read the article

Open the article and read it at the level above. Then answer the questions below in your own words.

https://smallwhale.org/articles/melatonin

Write what each word means, using the article.

Do not copy the article. Write two things you learned, the way you would explain them to a friend.

Answers below are taken from the article’s stored facts, so they match what the student read.

1. Who discovered Melatonin?1958
2. What is the discoverer?Aaron B. Lerner and colleagues
3. What is the primary uses?Sleep-related problems, circadian rhythm disorders, and as an antioxidant
4. How does light affect melatonin?When it’s bright outside, the pineal gland makes less melatonin, but when it gets dark, it makes more, so you feel sleepy.
5. Where does melatonin come from?Melatonin is produced inside a small part of the brain called the pineal gland, which sits near the center of the brain.

Circadian Rhythm: The approximately 24-hour internal clock that regulates sleep-wake cycles and other physiological processes.
Chronobiotic: A substance that influences or regulates biological rhythms.
Oxidative Stress: Cellular damage caused by an imbalance between free radicals and antioxidants.