The Locus Of Laughter

            Biopsychology has proven to be an area with deep rifts of knowledge and an endless sea of unknowns. With such a desperate division, one would have to ask which do you focus on? Yet those who study biopsychology continue to change the lives of everyone on the planet every day. .
             Biological psychology focuses on areas from the brain down to the neural pathways, which one's crucial information is sent along. In this paper, we will discuss the biological means and matter of laughter and how science has possibly discovered a part of the brain which effects laughter and mood, and is undoubtedly affected by laughter and mood. .
             To begin, what is laughter? Laughter is defined as "A movement (usually involuntary) of the muscles of the face, particularly of the lips, with a peculiar expression of the eyes, indicating merriment, satisfaction, or derision, and usually attended by a sonorous and interrupted expulsion of air from the lungs." (Dictionary.com) This definition explains the technical means of laughter, yet there is so much more to laughter and our lives. .
             Laughter is enormously important in our daily functioning. It has medical purposes, even easing painful symptoms by allowing or initiating the release of our own internal pain medication. (Psychological Science, 185) Laughter assists in social bonding by allowing us to share happy feelings with others around us. (Psychological Science, 184) Scientists even believe that this social bonding may be initiated at a young age by tickling children and infants, building a bond with those around them at a young age. Scientists even discovered that young rats spent more time with other rats that exhibited happy behavior and the rat equivalent of laughter. (Psychological Science, 184) .
             While most rats, and humans for that matter, would rather be around someone who is usually happy, there is a line where such happiness can go too far.