• Question: Are endorphin's controlled by hormones and if so are there any cases of not having any

    Asked by OpticShrek69 to Laura, Saffron, Partha, Craig, Amy on 18 Jun 2015.
    • Photo: Saffron Whitehead

      Saffron Whitehead answered on 18 Jun 2015:

      Endorphins are peptides released mainly from the nervous system and pituitary gland although they are released from many other parts of the body.
      They are mainly released by nervous stimuli but can be released by metabolic cues. Exercise is also a stimulus for endorphin release. Sometimes they are released by hormones in the brain and I am sure we still have a lot to learn about what endorphins have been called ‘the endogenous natural pain killers’

    • Photo: Amy Cameron

      Amy Cameron answered on 19 Jun 2015:

      Endorphins can also be released during stress – the fight or flight action. They act to block the pain signals in the brain which is why they are known as natural pain killers. If you do not produce enough endorphins you can become depressed and too much suffer from anxiety.

    • Photo: Laura Wales

      Laura Wales answered on 23 Jun 2015:

      Nice answers from Saffron and Amy.

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