The brain controls most of the chemical processes in the body such as blood pressure, emotions, fight or flight reactions. A group of researchers from the Weizmann Institute, led by Dr. Gil Levkowitz, looked into the structure and the mechanism of the brain by which biochemical commands are transferred from the brain cells into the bloodstream and to other parts of the body. With this, the "hormone of love" was discovered to have a crucial role in directing this process.

The specific area that the researchers studied is called neurohypophysis or posterior pituary. It is located in between nerve fibers and blood vessels right at the base of the brain. It is through here where the command for hormones to be released from the nerves to the blood vessels originates, as well as commands for balancing fluids and uterine contractions when giving birth are sent. It is in the neurohypophysis where oxytocin, dubbed as the 'hormone of love', is released.

"Oxytocin assists in building roads for transmitting its own future messages," said Levkowitz. During the embryo stage of a developing child, the 'hormone of love' works primarily to form new blood vessels.

The researchers studied live embryos of zebrafish due to the convenience of the fully transparent embryos that show a lot of similarity to the vertebrate brain. This allowed the researchers to genetically manipulate the specimen and observe the development of the neurohypophysis under microscopes. The researchers looked into the structure of the neurohypophysis and the secretions of hormones originating from it.

The results of the study give an essential aspect in terms of basic research on fundamental brain mechanisms. In the future, the results of the study may shed light on how to treatment diseases that originate from the brain's neurohypophysis.

Neurohypophysis is the only part of the brain that can regenerate following an injury and having a good understanding of how this specific part of the brain forms may provide insight on how its ability can be associated with other parts of the brain and the rest of the body.

The study was published in Developmental Cell journal, with the headline, "The Hormone of Love Attracts a Partner for Life."