Oxytocin

Oxytocin is a natural peptide hormone and brain signal. It is best known for its roles in childbirth and milk release, but researchers also study it in social bonding, stress, reward, emotional processing, and how the brain responds to social cues. Oxytocin is interesting because the same hormone can act in both the body and the brain. Its receptor is found in many tissues, so researchers use oxytocin to study everything from reproductive biology to social behavior and stress response. This gives oxytocin a wide research profile across hormone, brain, and behavior science.