oxytocin: the love hormone

Oxytocin:the love hormone <3

Structural Makeup

of Oxytocin

Synthesized Oxytocin

What it does...The hormone gets its name from a Greek word meaning “quick birth”

Found in mammals

Acts as a neurotransmitter in the brain

In humans, oxytocin is thought to be released during hugging, touching, and orgasm in both sexes. In the brain, oxytocin is involved in social recognition and bonding, and may be involved in the formation of trust between people and generosity

In women, large amounts of this hormone are released after labor and while breastfeeding

What does it play a role in??

Child birth

dilating of the cervix

breast feeding

making emotional connections

having orgasms

The discovery of...

discovered by British pharmacologist Sir Henry Hallett Dale in 1906

The milk ejection property was described by Ott and Scott in 1910 and by Schafer and Mackenzie in 1911

The nine amino acid sequence was described by Vincent du Vigneaud et al. and by Tuppy in 1953

Oxytocin was synthesized biochemically soon after by du Vigneaud et al. in 1953.

Oxytocin was the very first polypeptide hormone to be sequenced and synthesized.

Too little Oxytocin?

Labor may not come naturally

Have difficulty breastfeeding

May not have the same types of emotional responses as others with high levels of Oxytocin

Treating Oxytocin Defeciency

If one has low levels of Oxytocin doctors will inject the hormone into a vein. Other ways to get oxytocin include nasal sprays containing the hormone. Injected oxytocin analogues are also given by doctors to increase this hormone level.

Too Much Oxytocin

Having abnormally high dosages of Oxytocin can cause:

■ Subarachnoid hemorrhage■ Increased heart rate■ Decreased blood pressure■ Cardiac arrhythmia and premature ventricular contraction■ Impaired uterine blood flow

Pelvic hematoma■ Afibrinogenonemia, which can lead to hemorrhage and death■ Anaphylaxis■ Nausea and vomiting

Treating too much Oxytocin

While hugh levels of oxytocin can be very dangerous, this rarely occurs naturally. Most high levels are caused by injecting the hormone into the body. Thus, the treatment of this disorder is to let the hormone run its course because of its very short life span once it is in the blood stream.

Diseases relating to Oxytocin

The inability to secrete oxytocin and feel empathy is linked to sociopathy, psychopathy, narcissism and general manipulativeness.

THE END