Love biochemicals: Key Areas of the Male and Female Brain

Female Brain

Male Brain

ACC – Anterior Cingulate Cortex: Larger in women. Makes decisions, weighs options, seat of worrying

ACC – Anterior Cingulate Cortex: Larger in women. Makes decisions, weighs options, seat of worrying, fear of punishment, center of sexual performance anxiety. Testosterone decreases worries.

PFC – Prefrontal Cortex: Larger in women. Rules emotions. Puts the brakes on the amygdale and impulses. Matures faster in teen girls by 1-2 years.

PFC – Prefrontal Cortex: Larger in women. Rules emotions. Puts the brakes on the amygdala. CEO of the brain. Focuses on ‘now’ issues and makes good judgments.

Insula: Larger in women. Area that processes ‘gut feelings’ and instinct. More active in women.

MPOA – Medial Preoptic Area: 2.5 times larger in men found in the hypothalamus. For sexual pursuit and starting an erection.

Hypothalumus: Starts pumping horomones earlier in teen girls. Conductor of hormones and sexual functions.

TPJ – Temporal Parietal Junction: Solves problems taking into account other people involved. Fast-fix solutions. During emotional exchange more active in the male brain.

Amygdala: Fear or flight core of reaction tamed by PFC. Larger in men.

DPN – Dorsal Premammillary Nucleus: Larger in males. Defend turf area inside hypothalamus. Competition, aggression, and defense; sensitive to turf threats.

Pituitary Gland: Produces love biochemicals of motherhood, fertility, milk production, and nurturing behavior.

Amygdala: Fear or flight core of reaction tamed by PFC. Larger in men. Gets fired up by testosterone, vasopressin, and cortisol and is calmed by oxytocin.

Hippocampus: Larger and more active in women. The database recall center of everything good, indifferent, and especially bad.

RCZ – Rostral Cingulate Zone: Barometer registering social approval and error. Can help reset facial expressions. “Social intellisense” and “erotic intellisense”

VTA- Ventral Tegmental Area: Motivation Center. More active in males. Manufactures dopamine.

PAG- Periaqueductal Gray: Part of the pain circuits that involuntary control pain and pleasure. More active during sex in males. During sex it is the center for pain suppression, intense pleasure, and moaning.

MNS- Mirror-Neuron System: Larger and more active in females. Emotional empathy system “emotional intellisense” interpreting voice and body language and “erotic intellisense”