Which of the following glands secrets the hormone called melatonin?

The correct answer is Pineal gland.

Key Points

• Melatonin, also known as hormone of darkness is a hormone secreted by the pineal gland in response to darkness.
• The hormone is involved in sleep regulation, as well as in a number of other cyclical bodily activities and circadian rhythm in humans.
• Melatonin is exclusively involved in signaling the 'time of day' and 'time of year' to all tissues and is thus considered as the body's chronological pacemaker or 'Zeitgeber'.
• Pharmacology of Melatonin-
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• Light has two effects on melatonin: day-night light cycles modify the rhythm of its secretion, and brief pulses of light of sufficient intensity and duration abruptly suppress its production.
• The hormone secretion in humans increases soon after the onset of darkness, peaks within the middle of the night, and gradually falls during the last half of the night.
• Uses: 
  • Treatment of sleep problem.
  • Act as an antioxidant that can significantly affect many health problems.

Additional Information

• Food items that contains Melatonin are - Milk, Fatty fish, Oats, Mushroom, Rice, Bananas, etc.
• Foods to avoid before sleeping are- Chocolate, Tomatoes, Pizza and Citrus fruits.