LOVE: Unravelling the Biochemistry behind it

Soumik Goswami

IMG

“Everything is fair in love and war”, “Love is blind”, “To be loved is the ultimate need of every living being”, etc. are some quotes which make this behaviour very popular and often puzzling to us. Love is not only about romanticism, songs in movies or going on a date with an individual to whom one feels attracted. It is one of organisms’ most complex and less studied behavioural expressions. What most people think of love as being an action or feeling governed by the small fist-shaped organ pounding against the left side of one’s chest is not the actual description of what it is.

Love is more of a behaviour significantly regulated by the brain, specifically by areas of the limbic system, pituitary and prefrontal cortex. The heart is merely an organ that reacts to the consequences of brain activity. Hence, the next time you find someone who has experienced a failed love, you are sure to blame the brain and spare the heart. Love is a biological phenomenon that is experienced deeply by all individuals. The existence and expression of love have created cultural and historical manifestations in monuments, art, poetry and music.

On the contrary, failing to reciprocate a love feeling, commonly denoted as “failed love”, can be hazardous for an individual. The loss of loved ones forms an indelible imprint to carry with us for the rest of our lives. Most people do not realise that love is not just an emotional attachment or feeling towards…read more on NOPR