The Chemicals of Love

Here's the introduction for the paper I wrote on the evolution of chemicals of love in mammals, which a lot of my friends have been wondering about. I chose this topic for research because I was so in love and it hurt so much. I wanted to know why I was feeling the intense feelings I was. Now I know, and love is still an awesome, powerful, beautiful mystery! ps- the guy I was in love with is now my future husband, and we're still in love! : )

"The evolution of emotion and the chemicals that cause neural responses in mammals has become a topic of interest in the sciences. Of the fields that have taken interest, neuroscience and psychology have paired their methods for data collection and analysis for a comprehensive evaluation of behaviors by mapping neural patterns and metabolic pathways. Chemicals that play a primary role in the display of emotion, including aggression as a form of protection of a loved one, include oxytocin and vasopressin, dopamine, testosterone, and serotonin. Love- both familial and sexual- and the chemicals involved in displays of affection, attachment, and protection have arisen as a result of the evolution of the brain and nervous system to help promote sexual selection and child-bearing responsibilities in mammals. In this paper, we will examine if the byproducts of the limbic and nervous systems and brain help promote sexual selection in humans by inducing romantic love, sexual desire, and attachment" (Wilson 2).