Whatever your parents told you, it’s not about the birds and the bees. Ultimately, reproduction seems to be about a protein molecule called kisspeptin. The name has nothing to do with foreplay, however. Kisspeptin was discovered in Hershey, Pennsylvania, and its name comes from the town’s other great research success: Hershey’s Kisses chocolates.
At some point, most people’s brain starts to secrete kisspeptin; when it does, the hypothalamus begins to produce a chemical called gonadotropin-releasing hormone, or GnRH. Written down, it looks like a teenage grunt and that’s what it leads to. GnRH release is a crucial moment at the beginning of puberty. It brings about the secretion of hormones that start egg or sperm production and create the characteristic signs of sexual maturity.
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