- Mimics effects of opiate drugs like morphine 
- Binds to opioid receptors 
- Produces analgesia (pain relief) and reward effects 

Rutgers University

- Also known as neuropeptide
- Peptides are short chains of between two and fifty amino acids, linked by peptide bonds
- A neurotransmitter that contains short chains of amino acids (galanin, neuropeptide Y, opioid peptides)

Peptide Neurotransmitters

Breedlove, S. & Watson, N. (2017). Behavioral neuroscience, eighth edition. Oxford University Press.

Behavioral Neuroscience 8th Edition

Opioid Peptides 

Oxytocin is a nine-amino-acid-long hormone and neuropeptide that is synthesized in the hypothalamus and released into various brain regions as well as the circulatory system. It is involved in labor, breastfeeding, maternal care, sexual behaviors, and there is growing evidence for its role in broad social behaviors. Additionally, there is evidence linking dysregulation of oxytocin to psychopathology.

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