Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jul 4, 2026

Contractility Measurements of Human Uterine Smooth Muscle to Aid Drug Development
Published on: January 26, 2018
Oxytocin: Not "just a female hormone": A very special issue and a very special molecule
C Sue Carter1, Rose-Marie Bluthé2, Jessica J Connelly3
1University of Virginia and the Kinsey Institute, Indiana University, USA.
Abstract:
For decades it was believed that oxytocin was "just a female hormone." This was a mistake. In the 21st century it has become clear that oxytocin arose from ancient roots, and acquired dozens of diverse functions throughout the mammalian body. This Special Issue of Comprehensive Psychoneuroendocrinology brings together a series of fifteen papers describing different facets and functions of oxytocin. Each author was invited to describe her perspectives on oxytocin, as well as to share experiences that led them to study this remarkable molecule. Many of these stories are highly personal and set in the context of what it means to be a female and to be an academic scientist. Oxytocin is not "just" a female hormone and these articles are not "just" routine descriptions of scientific facts. The readers are invited to join us in a celebration of the molecule that made us human.
More Related Videos
09:12Assessing Cellular Stress and Inflammation in Discrete Oxytocin-secreting Brain Nuclei in the Neonatal Rat Before and After First Colostrum Feeding
Published on: November 14, 2018
11:04Unraveling the Role of Discrete Areas of the Rat Brain in the Regulation of Ovulation through Reversible Inactivation by Tetrodotoxin Microinjections
Published on: September 3, 2020
Related Concept Videos
Hormonal Regulation
Hormonal Regulation
Hormonal Regulation of the Menstrual Cycle
At puberty, GnRH begins a pulsatile release pattern, which triggers the anterior pituitary gland to secrete follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) and luteinizing hormone (LH). The frequency and amplitude of GnRH pulses vary across the menstrual cycle, with faster pulses favoring LH release and slower pulses favoring FSH release.
Hormonal Control of the Ovarian Cycle
Before puberty, the hypothalamus releases GnRH in a low frequency, low amplitude pulsatile manner. This along with the immature hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal axis activity, results in low estrogen levels and the absence of a fully functional ovarian cycle. At puberty, GnRH secretion increases in both frequency and...
Neurotransmitters
Major Hormones and Their Functions
Oxytocin, produced in the hypothalamus and released by the pituitary gland, plays a role in social bonding, childbirth, and lactation.