If you've ever seen some one who is in love and all shook up, you will note that this emotional love anxiety creates a physiological response such as increased heart rate and sweaty palms. The amygdala is thought to be the control center for such biological reactions. Ironically, it is the emotion that causes a reaction in the heart, not the heart that causes an emotional reaction. We attribute feeling to come from this organ of our body that pumps red blood, but much evidence suggests that emotions are attributed to chemical reactions that occur in the brain. Before the Common Era it was assumed that the seat of emotions was...(I hope you are not having lunch)...the bowels. Today, it is still a common saying, "Go with your gut."

It has been demonstrated scientifically, that a harmed amygdala impairs the ability to fully feel and express certain emotions. The amygdala affects feelings of fear and anxiousness. Apes who have had their amygdalas removed lack fear induced inhibitions. It seems desirable to live a life without fear, but a healthy amount of fear is appropriate. Fear of being run over by a car will cause a person to cross at the light. Fear of illness will cause a person to take preventative measures for ensuring long lasting good health. Fear of not having enough money will motivate a person to seek out a well paying job. Fear of loneliness will drive a person towards the endeavor to trust and love.

As necessary as the amygdala is, not all emotional responses can be credited to this part of the brain, alone. The hypothalamus is linked to anger induced emotional responses such as aggression and violence, e.g. animals who have had a portion of their hypothalamus' removed, responded with excessive aggressiveness. It is probable that other parts of the brain, such as the telencephalon and the cortex, contribute to controlling aggressive behavior so credit for this emotional response does not belong to the hypothalamus, alone. The hypothalamus may be responsible for the output of aggression and anger while the telencephalon may be responsible for the inhibition of these feelings; in other words, the telencephalon keeps the hypothalamus in check.

The hormonal sexual attraction that two people feel for one another when they are in love is the result of neurobiological activity taking place in the brain, not the heart. The hypothalamus plays a key role in regulating the secretion of sex hormones. Sexual pleasure is controlled by the autonomic nervous system -- particularly in the parasympathetic division, which is responsible for the regulation of breathing and heart rate; it is located in the brain stem and sacral spinal cord. Excitement of parasympathetic neurons causes sexual excitement.

The brain plays an important role in sexual attraction which may be the reason why nerds who use their neurons regularly are thought to be extremely sexy. In love, the head ought to be as highly esteemed as the heart. To get the love juices flowing, it may be a good idea to spend the night together in a laboratory, conducting savory, scientific experiments. The philosophical thinkers may consider reading Kant by candle light. What it comes down to is, inactive neurons are highly unappealing. To stay in the moment of fatal attraction with a significant other, it requires more than just being the look alike to the model on the cover of Vogue or GQ so have a neuronal impulse or two.

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