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secreted by the posterior pituitary gland go to the blood stream and act on
peripheral organs. In this capacity, oxytocin is a hormone that enhances
uterine contraction during delivery and promotes milk flow during lactation,
while vasopressin is a hormone that causes vasoconstriction and enhances
water re-absorption in the kidney, thus the other name “antidiuretic hor-
mone.” However, what is pertinent to this chapter is their central action —
they are both produced inside the brain and act within the brain to promote
pro-social behavior.
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- The only exception is that early familiarity diminishes sexual attraction —
nature’s way to avoid incest.
