Falling in love may hit your heart, but what does it do to your brain?
It turns out that falling in love corresponds with the release of key brain chemicals from certain regions of the brain, Dr. Gül Dölen (opens in new tab), an associate professor of neuroscience at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine in Baltimore, told Live Science.
One of these brain regions is the hypothalamus. This almond-size, multi-functional region deep within the brain releases the hormone oxytocin, or what Dölen calls “the love chemical.” Oxytocin is a special hormone that promotes bonding. It is released during childbirth, breastfeeding, orgasm and cuddling by cells in the hypothalamus to the pituitary gland, where it is stored for later use.
“Writer Fuel” is a series of cool real-world stories that might inspire your little writer heart. Check out our Writer Fuel page on the LimFic blog for more inspiration.
