Gastrin Bombesin

Gastrin is the name of the neuropeptide that carries the message of fear from the amygdala to the gut. Upon arrival in the gut, gastrin gives rise to dyspepsia — those gut-wrenching feelings of 'butterflies in the stomach' that we experience as qualms, quease, anxiety, nausea, disgust, anger, biliousness or feeling galled.

Bombesin is the name of the neuropeptide that carries the message of fear from the amygdala to the periphery of the body. Upon arrival, bombesin causes a shutdown of the blood supply to the skin, wherupon our color blanches, we get goose bumps, and we feel 'chilled out' (white as a ghost). Creepy. Shiver me timbers.

Visit Goose Bumps — The Science of Fear at the Boston Museum of Science.

Gastrin Man

Who can make your skin crawl?

Who can wrench your gut?

The Gastrin Man can!

The Gastrin Man can cuz
He floods your blood
With surging waves
Of foamy neuropeptides.

Gastrin Bombesin as
Oil Can Harry A-Go-Go
AKA Mr. GutWrench