Our Chemical Romance

Ah, Valentine's Day. Whether you're humming Barry White or Beyonce (single ladies, anyone?), we are all familiar with that pervasive, confusing, and exciting four letter word. Although it is often relegated to the emotion category, love can partly be explained by chemical reactions in our body.

Love, attachment, and attraction are correlated (causal relationship has not yet been proven) with the release of proteins from our brain, muscles, and adrenal glands (located above the kidney). These proteins bind to the membranes of our cells, eliciting an exchange of ions and series of secondary events. Said events include an increase in heart rate, obsessive thoughts, sweaty palms, or utter elation and joy. Other hormones implicated? Norepinephrine, oxytocin, dopamine, serotonin, and cortisol are all involved in the love potion. It makes sense that some of these are also associated with risk-taking activities or doing drugs.

So today, when you're enjoying the romantic moments with the S.O., take a little time to thank the systems in our body that allow this quintessential human emotion. If you're single, you could always go sky diving to get the same feeling.

Young love :)