O ljubezni in drugih boleznih, part 1

Za to, da nekatere kemikalije močno vplivajo na to, kako doživljamo soljudi - predvsem partnerje - sem slišal že v prvem letniku biologije, ko sva s tedanjo punco za pozabljivost in "hojo v oblakih" krivila oksitocin.

Oxytocin is released in the brain during orgasms, during childbirth and by breast feeding, which has led scientists to suspect that it may be linked to mother-baby bonding and that perhaps this, “love” and partner attachments are all a manifestation of the same process.

Nadalje je mojo pozornost pri predavanjih biokemije pritegnil seminar kolegice z naslovom: "Ljubezen po biokemijsko", kjer sem slišal tudi za vazopresin in podobne 'reagente" ...
  But trust also usually demands monogamy, the mediator of which is vasopressin. Studies on voles have shown that a polygamous vole species known as the meadow vole can be transformed into behaving like its monogamous prairie vole cousin either by adding extra vasopressin to its brain or by increasing the brain’s sensitivity to the substance.  
  Pa da ne ostanemo zgolj pri nekih glodalcih v savani ali preriji, evo vam nadaljevanje: 

The same seems to apply to humans: a study carried out last year in Sweden found that individuals with one variant of a gene used in the brain to detect vasopressin levels were twice as likely to report a recent marital crisis, and only half as likely to be married in the first place, compared with individuals not carrying that form of the gene.  

 Administering vasopressin to volunteers also produces changes in behaviour. Men adopt a more aggressive posture including looking more menacing and also becoming much more protective of their partners. And when shown photographs of other peoples’ faces they tend to rate them as looking less friendly than they did before vasopressin was given.

No, pravite, kaj pa navezanost! (Če se izognemo neprijetnemu oksitocinu s svojimi ... "intoksikantnimi" učinki.) Kaj pa to, ko mi srce poskoči, ko vidim svojega lubija ali pa čebelico in občutek, da bo skoraj konec sveta, če se nekaj časa ne vidiva? Hm, v besedi: ...

O dopaminu, njegovih učinkih, kokainu in heroinu ter zaključku ... v naslednjem delu.

 Ta in naslednji del sta povzeta po članku na internetni podstrani The Naked Scientists, 'What is love?' Chrisa Smitha.