THE HORMONE OF LOVE

We have puzzled over the mystery of why we fall in love, and explaining it as fate, or deity intervention in our lives. In fact, oxytocin is the secret behind this!

Oxytocin...
- is a nine amino acid peptide that is synthesized in hypothalamic neurons and transported down axons of the posterior pituitary for secretion into blood.
- is a hormone of which determines how our body responds to love and affection.
- was shown to be associated with the ability to maintain healthy interpersonal relationships and healthy psychological boundaries with other people.
- is released from the posterior lobe of the pituitary gland, that stimulates the contraction of smooth muscle of the uterus during labor and facilitates ejection of milk from the breast during nursing.
- acts as a neurotransmitter in the brain.

Links

wikipedia
Hug the Monkey
oxytocin.org
Oxytocin & Vasopressin
QualityCounts
NDI Foundation

Quiz

1.Oxytocin is known to affect ________ behaviour.
2.Male and female mice that lacked the oxytocin receptor had problems forming _______ and establishing normal social relationships.
3.Males synthesize oxytocin in the same regions of the ______________ as in females, and also within the testes and perhaps other ____________ tissues.
4.Oxytocin can
a)Influence maternal behaviour and affect rate of growth
b)Influence maternal behaviour and prepare fetal neurons to delivery
c)Reduce fear and affect rate of growth
d)Reduce fear and reduces tolerance to pain
5.Certain learning and ________ functions are impaired by centrally administered oxytocin.
6.Oxytocin neurons are repressed by ____________, which are released from the adrenal gland in response to many types of stress, including fright.
7.Circulating levels of _ _ modulates both the production of oxytocin and response to oxytocin.
8.Oxytocin is secreted from the
a)Adrenal gland
b)Pituitary gland
c)Pancreas
d)Liver

Answer...
1. social
2. trust
3. hypothalamus, reproductive
4. B
5. memory
6. catecholamines
7. sex steroids
8. B

Glossary

Asperger's disorder - also called Asperger's syndrome (AS) or autistic psychopathy, belongs to a group of childhood disorders known as pervasive developmental disorders (PDDs) or autistic spectrum disorders.
Autism - behavior disorder, characterized by an impairment in social communication, social interaction, and social imagination.
Hypothalamus - the part of the brain that lies below the thalamus, forming the major portion of the ventral region of the diencephalon and functioning to regulate bodily temperature, certain metabolic processes, and other autonomic activities.
Lactation - secretion or formation of milk by the mammary glands.
Rodents - any of various mammals of the order Rodentia, such as a mouse, rat, squirrel, or beaver, characterized by large incisors adapted for gnawing or nibbling.
Rupture - the process or instance of breaking open or bursting.
Schizophrenia - a collection of related psychiatric disorders of unknown etiology that follow a specific pattern of behavior.

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Thursday, February 8, 2007

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