General Question

_Whitetigress's avatar

What part of the brain controls the release of happy hormones and depressing hormones?

Asked by _Whitetigress (4378points) August 15th, 2012

Thanks!

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8 Answers

DigitalBlue's avatar

The limbic system is responsible for mood regulation, memory, and stress reactions, and the endocrine system is responsible for hormone production and release.

nikipedia's avatar

Can you be more specific? What are you trying to understand?

It would be hard to separate hormones into “happy hormones” and “depressing hormones.” As you may know, hormones are only a small part of what regulates brain function. Most neurotransmitters are not hormones.

whiteliondreams's avatar

I think they want to know more about endorphins

_Whitetigress's avatar

Yes I was referring mainly to what portion of the brain triggers the signal to release endorphins and cortisol (I’m sure this is stress chemical? which is actually the “sad” hormone?

nikipedia's avatar

Can you tell me more about what you’re trying to learn? To the extent that a single brain region can be credited with releasing endorphins, the hypothalamus is probably the most important, but really there is a highly complex cascade of signals and the vast majority of endorphins released in the body do not affect.

Cortisol release is controlled by the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis. It is produced by the adrenal gland and release is controlled, again, primarily by the hypothalamus but again through a complex signaling cascade.

Please let me reiterate that it is not even close to scientifically accurate to think of endorphins as “happy hormones” or cortisol as a “sad hormone.”

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Shippy's avatar

Chemical uptake or inhibition takes place within the Synapse. Positive and negative chemicals resting there will either promote certain uptakes or not.

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