Question- Which of the following alternatives is / are true about Oxytocin?
(1) It is a hormone that is made in the brain.
(2) It acts both as a hormone and as a brain neurotransmitter.
(3) It acts to regulate two female reproductive functions: Childbirth and Breast-feeding.
(4) It is not used to induce labor in pregnant women.
(a) 1&2
(b) 1, 2 &, 3
(c) all of the above.
(d) 1, 2 &, 4
Answer (b).
Related facts-
- In the meeting on July 25, the Drug Technical Advisory Board (DTAB) has recommended to the union ministry of health and family welfare that the ban on retail sale of the life- saving drug, oxytocin, may be lifted.
About Oxytocin-
- Oxytocin is a hormone that is made in the brain, in the hypothalamus. It is transported to, and secreted by, the pituitary gland and also acts as a neurotransmitter.
- It is also called as the hug hormone, cuddle chemical, moral molecule and, the bliss hormone because of its effects on human behavior.
- It regulates two of the female reproductive functions: Childbirth and Breast-feeding.
Why Oxytocin is used-
- Oxytocin is most commonly used by doctors to induce labor in pregnant women and to suppress postpartum bleeding.
- Due to its significant role in maternal health, the world health organization recommends it as the drug of choice in postpartum hemorrhage. It is a life-saver for women.
References-
https://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-national/oxytocin-ban-may-be-lifted/article24586800.ece
http://www.cdsco.nic.in/forms/list.aspx?lid=2028&Id=31