this post was submitted on 05 Aug 2025
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It activates the same chemicals in your brain as cocaine! not-built-for-this

Well, yeah, there are only ~~three~~^[@Neuromancer49@midwest.social corrected me] a few neurotransmitters. That's not saying much.

You know what else activates those chemicals? Practically everything. When scientists breed "knockout" mice without dopamine, the mice just stand there until they die of thirst, because there is no reward for.... living.

It contains more germs than a toilet seat! NOOOOO

Germs like moist surfaces. We don't want germs on our toilets, which is why we make them out of porcelain, which is hard, dry, non-porous, and easy to clean.

If it had more germs than your colon, then I would be concerned.

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[–] Neuromancer49@midwest.social 35 points 1 week ago* (last edited 1 week ago) (3 children)

Dopamine does a lot in the brain. Much of its function depends on where it's active. When released in the ventral tegmental area, it causes reward and happiness. In the basal ganglia, dopamine helps us coordinate movement.

Since I'm already on my soapbox, I'd like to point out there's more than 3 neurotransmitters. These are the basic ones:

  • Dopamine - reward and muscle movement
  • Acetylcholine - motor neurotransmitter
  • Glutamate - primary excitation transmitter, important for memory and overall function
  • GABA - primary inhibitor transmitter
  • Glycine - inhibitor in the spinal cord
  • Serotonin - the other happy hormone, involved in a lot of complex stuff like sleep, depression, and hunger
  • Norepinephrine - fight or flight, adrenaline
  • Epinephrine - the other fight or flight hormone
  • Oxytocin - the nipple clamp hormone

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Neurotransmitter?wprov=sfla1

[–] 7bicycles@hexbear.net 29 points 1 week ago (3 children)

Oxytocin - the nipple clamp hormone

obviously. But for the people who don't know this, unlike me, maybe you could explainm this one

[–] Neuromancer49@midwest.social 23 points 1 week ago (1 children)
[–] 7bicycles@hexbear.net 21 points 1 week ago

no, it's fine, as I am a scholar. But I am also a communist, and as such I think of the poor and uneducated a lot. I think your comic will help them. Not me though, I knew this.

[–] JoeByeThen@hexbear.net 13 points 1 week ago

Breastfeeding babies. Moms get a happy hormone from it.

[–] GiorgioBoymoder@hexbear.net 12 points 1 week ago

direct from wikipedia

Oxytocin is a peptide hormone and neuropeptide normally produced in the hypothalamus and released by the posterior pituitary.[3] Present in animals since early stages of evolution, in humans it plays roles in behavior that include social bonding, love, reproduction, childbirth, and the period after childbirth.[4][5][6][7] Oxytocin is released into the bloodstream as a hormone in response to sexual activity and during childbirth.[8][9] It is also available in pharmaceutical form. In either form, oxytocin stimulates uterine contractions to speed up the process of childbirth.

In its natural form, it also plays a role in maternal bonding and milk production.[9][10] Production and secretion of oxytocin is controlled by a positive feedback mechanism, where its initial release stimulates production and release of further oxytocin. For example, when oxytocin is released during a contraction of the uterus at the start of childbirth, this stimulates production and release of more oxytocin and an increase in the intensity and frequency of contractions. This process compounds in intensity and frequency and continues until the triggering activity ceases. A similar process takes place during lactation and during sexual activity.

[–] TankieTanuki@hexbear.net 10 points 1 week ago* (last edited 1 week ago) (1 children)

I didn't know hormones and neurotransmitters overlapped like that; I always separated them in my head. TIL.

Why do I frequently see the neurotransmitters narrowed down to dopamine, norepinephrine, and serotonin? Are they the most important ones?

[–] Neuromancer49@midwest.social 14 points 1 week ago* (last edited 1 week ago) (3 children)

That's a surprising statement to me. Honestly, those aren't even the most important. Glutamate is the most common neurotransmitter in the brain. But dopamine, norepinephrine, and serotonin are responsible for some very "classic" bodily functions like reward, adrenaline, and sleep.

Now, hormones are typically separate from the brain - there's a barrier between neurons and your circulating blood maintained by astrocytes. This is the so-called blood-brain barrier. I do not know if there are examples of Oxytocin and Epinephrine crossing the BBB, as I did not study it. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blood%E2%80%93brain_barrier?wprov=sfla1

[–] TankieTanuki@hexbear.net 10 points 1 week ago* (last edited 1 week ago) (1 children)

I'm not sure where I mislearned that then.

maintained by atrocities

War crimes keep my brain healthy? ralsei-wut

[–] Neuromancer49@midwest.social 10 points 1 week ago

Ducking autocorrect strikes again. Astrocytes

[–] SchillMenaker@hexbear.net 3 points 1 week ago

Although I've never thought much about it I would think that neuropeptides that are produced in the brain would likely have local activity. Orexin is an endogenous neuropeptide that can be administered in an inhaled form with a very potent effect. I listened to a talk on it once and apparently you can be going on 20+ hours awake and barely able to keep your eyes open to immediately awake like you slept for 12 hours. He said that the air force uses it for B-2 pilots and other extremely long range missions.

[–] EldenRingBedTime@hexbear.net 6 points 1 week ago

This explains the irresistibleness of gabagool.