The Anatomy of a Kiss
Most people think about what to do when kissing another person, but fewer ponder all the technical details behind it. No matter who you're kissing or why, the basic kiss relies heavily on onemuscle- theorbicularis oris, which runs around the outside of your mouth. Your orbicularis oris changes the shape of your mouth while you talk, and it puckers your lips when you kiss.
But orbicularis oris is really just the tip of the iceberg. About two-thirds of people tip their heads to the right while kissing. Scientists believe this preference starts before we're born, when we tip our heads to the right in thewomb. So muscles in your head, neck and shoulders tilt your head so your nose doesn't collide with your partner's nose.
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In addition, the rest of the muscles in your face and head also play a part in a more involved kiss. For example:
- Several muscles move your lips around.Zygomaticus major,zygomaticus minorandlevator labii superiorispull your upper lip and the corners of your mouth upward.Depressor labii inferiorisanddepressor anguli orispull the corners of your mouth and your lower lip downward.
- If you open your mouth, yourlateral pterygoidpulls your jawbone down. Yourmassiter,temporalisandmedial pterygoidclose your mouth.
- Several muscles - yourgenioglossus,styloglossus,palatoglossusandhyoglossus- move your tongue if you decide to use it.
Anyone who has ever been kissed knows that the sensations involved aren't confined to the mouth. Yourfacial nervecarries impulses between yourbrainand the muscles and skin in your face and tongue. While you kiss, it carries messages from your lips, tongue and face to your brain to tell it what's going on. Your brain responds by ordering your body to produce:
- Oxytocin,帮助人们发展的感觉s of attachment, devotion and affection for one another
- Dopamine, which plays a role in the brain's processing of emotions, pleasure and pain
- Serotonin, which affects a person's mood and feelings
- Adrenaline, which increasesheartrate and plays a role in your body's fight-or-flight response
When you kiss, these hormones and neurotransmitters rush through your body. Along with naturalendorphins, they produce the euphoria most people feel during a good kiss. In addition, your heart rate increases and yourbloodvessels dilate, so your whole body receives more oxygen than it does when you're just standing around. You can alsosmellthe person you're kissing, and researchers have demonstrated a connection between smells and emotions.