Knowledge Shot: Oxytocin: the Love Hormone.

Alright, real quick…

Valentine’s Day is here, and love is in the air. Well, actually, a more accurate thing to say is, our brains are hopped up on oxytocin.

So what is oxytocin, and why is it considered the love hormone?

Well, oxytocin is a neuropeptide, which means that it’s a short-chain polypeptide that’s used as a neurotransmitter, relaying a signal from one neuron to another.

Oxytocin is released by the pituitary gland and binds to oxytocin receptors, which can be found on cells in the brain, as well as the rest of the body.

Oxytocin is crucial during the delivery of a baby; it helps with cervical dilation and contractions. Then, during breastfeeding, oxytocin gets released in response to a baby’s suckling, or even a baby’s cry, as part of the reflex that allows milk to be let down from the nipples.