In seasonally breeding animals where reproduction is dependent on day length, melatonin from the pineal gland plays an important role. where and how does melatonin exert its inhibiting effect to slow down reproductive processes?
Melatonin exerts its inhibiting effect in the hypothalamus by reducing the gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRh). This hormone is responsible for the creation of estrogen in the ovaries and testosterone in the testes.