oxytocin: the love hormone
TRANSCRIPT
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