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by bigred59 on March 16th, 2006

bigred59

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If the brain is just a muscle, where do emotions come from?

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  • by lynnenorth on March 18th, 2006

    lynnenorth

    Chemicals! :-D

    Humor aside, the brain is not a muscle. The brain is composed of nerve cells called neurons and glia, and thought and memory both arise from the connections of neurons to each other, with the glia playing a strong supportive role. However, there are many chemicals, called neurotransmitters, which heavily influence how, when, and how much neurons talk to each other. Many of these neurotransmitters are quite closely linked to what we think of as emotion; for example, testosterone with aggression, epinephrine and norepinephrine with stress, anger or irritability, and oxytocin to friendship, love, social bonding and the bonding of mother and child, just to name some of the best-known ones.

    We are capable of feeling the effects of these neurotransmitters in other areas of the body than our brains, however. The membranes around the heart and membranes around the small intestines are also very sensitive to neurotransmitters, they have receptors in the cell surfaces which are shaped so that neurotransmitters attach, and then they pass on messages that essentially make the muscles below that membrane respond. So when people talk about having a "gut feeling", or feeling "heartbreak", they probably are indded feeling things in their gut or around their heart.

    There is a very complex feedback between the body and the perceptions and the environment which controls how much of each neurotransmitter is produced; this is a huge area of study and I wouldn't even begin to know how to tackle it here. However, I hope this gives you a little bit of insight.

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