The chemical that makes you happy can have the same effect on a herd of cattle contentedly grazing in a lush field. Some people might find the comparison humbling being accustomed to thinking in terms of a large gap between humanity and the creatures they kill and eat.
In this they are little different to human beings sitting down around a table loaded with roast beef Yorkshire puddings, potatoes, fruits, sweets and jellies. The substance known as serotonin is working alike in the guts of the cows and the human beings to create feelings of well being and contentment.
Perhaps more sobering still is the work of biologists which shows the same substance has similar effects on creatures even lower down the food chain. Lobsters become bossy if they have certain levels of the substance in their bloodstream. It appears that the social acceptability of animals high and low is remarkably similar and has the same causes. This seems much more significant than physiological similarities.
The notion of God making human beings quite above other earthly creatures is called into question by recently acquired knowledge. Although serotonin is found mostly in the gut, the production process starts in the brains of both lobsters and human beings. As in the case of lobsters, emotional control may be beyond our control.
Moody behavior has long puzzled psychologists and more recently animal behaviorists. Traditionally mood swings have been met with eyes raised and shoulders shrugged. Now the functioning of some intricate processes have been explained. The brain takes in information from the environment and as a result electrical impulses convey information resulting in the production of substances of various kinds. They create the moods experienced by individuals.
Moods like depression can be difficult to control because they are the consequences of chemical compositions in the bloodstream. A person may not even be aware of the sensual inputs sending messages from his brain to his bloodstream and making it difficult to obtain the quality of sleep needed. However experiencing things such as beauty and softness can yield a chemical that makes you happy.
In this they are little different to human beings sitting down around a table loaded with roast beef Yorkshire puddings, potatoes, fruits, sweets and jellies. The substance known as serotonin is working alike in the guts of the cows and the human beings to create feelings of well being and contentment.
Perhaps more sobering still is the work of biologists which shows the same substance has similar effects on creatures even lower down the food chain. Lobsters become bossy if they have certain levels of the substance in their bloodstream. It appears that the social acceptability of animals high and low is remarkably similar and has the same causes. This seems much more significant than physiological similarities.
The notion of God making human beings quite above other earthly creatures is called into question by recently acquired knowledge. Although serotonin is found mostly in the gut, the production process starts in the brains of both lobsters and human beings. As in the case of lobsters, emotional control may be beyond our control.
Moody behavior has long puzzled psychologists and more recently animal behaviorists. Traditionally mood swings have been met with eyes raised and shoulders shrugged. Now the functioning of some intricate processes have been explained. The brain takes in information from the environment and as a result electrical impulses convey information resulting in the production of substances of various kinds. They create the moods experienced by individuals.
Moods like depression can be difficult to control because they are the consequences of chemical compositions in the bloodstream. A person may not even be aware of the sensual inputs sending messages from his brain to his bloodstream and making it difficult to obtain the quality of sleep needed. However experiencing things such as beauty and softness can yield a chemical that makes you happy.
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