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pineal gland
pineal gland, endocrine gland found in vertebrates that is the source of melatonin, a hormone derived from tryptophan that plays a central role in the regulation of circadian rhythm (the roughly 24-hour cycle of biological activities associated with natural periods of light and darkness).
The pineal gland has long been an enigmatic structure. Even in the early 21st century, when sophisticated molecular techniques were available for biological study, fundamental features of the gland—including the extent of the effects of its principal hormone, melatonin—remained incompletely understood.
The pineal gland develops from the roof of the diencephalon, a section of the brain, and is located behind the third cerebral ventricle in the brain midline (between the two cerebral hemispheres). Its name is derived from its shape, which is similar to that of a pinecone (Latin pinea). In adult humans it is about 0.8 cm (0.3 inch) long and weighs approximately 0.1 gram (0.004 ounce).
The pineal gland has a rich supply of adrenergic nerves (neurons sensitive to the adrenal hormone epinephrine) that greatly influence its function. Microscopically, the gland is composed of pinealocytes (rather typical endocrine cells except for extensions that mingle with those of adjacent cells) and supporting cells that are similar to the astrocytes of the brain. In adults, small deposits of calcium often make the pineal body visible on X-rays. (The pineal gland eventually becomes more or less calcified in most people.)
In some lower vertebrates the gland has a well-developed eyelike structure. In others, though not organized as an eye, it functions as a light receptor.
…In humans both precocious puberty and delayed puberty have been associated with pineal tumours and cysts. However, the pathogenesis leading to those conditions is unclear, and both mechanical and hormonal factors may be involved. Positive relationships between melatonin secretion and some other hormones have been reported, though pure melatonin-secreting tumours have not been observed. Indeed, in contrast to other endocrine glands, such as the pituitary, adrenal, and thyroid, there are no well-defined pineal hormone-deficiency or hormone-excess syndromes.
https://www.britannica.com/science/pineal-gland
It reminds me of that movie, "I come in peace," where the alien was harvesting human endocrines or something similar. In plain sight within a movie?