# Are there pleasure receptors?
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-pleasure-receptors/367521
**Category:** Factual Questions
**Created:** [August 6, 2006, 2:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-pleasure-receptors/367521 "2006-08-06T02:31:33Z")
**Posts on this page:** 5
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@misterW](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/misterW)
#### Post date: [August 6, 2006, 2:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-pleasure-receptors/367521/1 "2006-08-06T02:31:33Z")
There are nerve receptors in our skin/body for temperature, pressure, pain…
are there pleasure receptors? i mean, are there nervous pathways whose sole purpose is to transmit “pleasure”? similar to how we have optic pathways that are solely for the transmission of light-related information?
i mean… does sex feel good because it is making the pleasure receptors in the genitals fire nerve impulses?
or is it because the brain simply translates the sensations of warmth, pressure, etc. into sensations of pleasure?
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### Author:  [@Joey\_P](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Joey_P)
#### Post date: [August 6, 2006, 2:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-pleasure-receptors/367521/2 "2006-08-06T02:56:50Z")
I think seratonin and dopamine are what you’re looking for (moreso seratonin). Do a google search on those and I’m guessing you’ll find what you’re looking for.
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### Author:  [@KarlGauss](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KarlGauss)
#### Post date: [August 6, 2006, 3:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-pleasure-receptors/367521/3 "2006-08-06T03:59:32Z")
Well, dopamine receptors (certain subtypes) seem to play a role in addictive behaviors. And serotonin receptors, when inadequately stimulated, may lead to depression. But pleasure is more likely a reflection of activity at the [endorphin](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Endorphin) receptors.
Of course, I hope it is obvious that nothing is quite so simple when it comes to understanding human behavior and emotions.
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### Author:  [@Boyo\_Jim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Boyo_Jim)
#### Post date: [August 6, 2006, 4:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-pleasure-receptors/367521/4 "2006-08-06T04:07:35Z")
I dpn’t think this is a question about chemical receptors in the brain, but about some kind of physical receptors in the skin.
If I am perceiving this correctly, I’m pretty sure the answer is “no”.
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### Author:  [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)
#### Post date: [August 6, 2006, 4:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-pleasure-receptors/367521/5 "2006-08-06T04:37:35Z")
The answer is definitely no. The sensation of pleasure is something that is generated in the brain; there are no simple receptors for it. Similarly, although we have light receptors in the eye, we have no receptors for “vision” - vision is something that happens in the brain, intergrating the input from different kinds of receptors.