Definition of oxytocin
: a pituitary octapeptide hormone C43H66N12O12S2 that stimulates especially the contraction of uterine muscle and the secretion of milk
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Recent Examples of oxytocin from the Web
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Calming a whimpering puppy or stroking a dog’s fur provokes a surge of oxytocin — a hormone that promotes trust, calmness and social bonds — just like caring for a child.
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The evidence points toward a hormone called oxytocin that is responsible for generating maternal care in the amygdala.
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During labor, Mangin kissed her husband to kickstart production of the hormone oxytocin (which can trigger calm and serenity).
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According to information published in Time magazine, singing may release endorphins associated with feelings of pleasure as well as stimulate the release of oxytocin, a hormone that is found to alleviate anxiety and stress.
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People who kiss their pets a lot have a higher level of the bonding hormone oxytocin, Kurz said.
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Such contact causes the release of a hormone called oxytocin, which triggers the release of chemicals like dopamine and endorphins in the nucleus accumbens, a hub of pleasure and motivation in the brain.
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Labor is a complicated process that involves the release of hormones like oxytocin and hormone-like chemicals called prostaglandins, both of which cause uterine contractions.
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After the honeymoon phase subsides, all of that dopamine starts to share real estate with another brain chemical: oxytocin, or the bonding hormone.
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Origin and Etymology of oxytocin
International Scientific Vocabulary, from oxytocic
Medical Dictionary
medical Definition of oxytocin
1
: an octapeptide hormone C43H66N12O12S2 secreted by the posterior lobe of the pituitary gland that stimulates especially the contraction of uterine muscle and the secretion of milk — called also
alpha-hypophamine
2
: a synthetic version of oxytocin used especially to initiate or increase uterine contractions (as in the induction of labor) — see pitocin
Learn More about oxytocin
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Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about oxytocin
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