(noun. /DOH-puh-meen/)
by Michaela Price
What does it mean?
Dopamine is a neurotransmitter, which is a chemical that acts as a messenger between brain cells. Dopamine is important for a lot of different functions in the brain, such as the feeling of reward or the ability to move. For example, dopamine is released in your brain when you eat your favorite food. Dopamine is also responsible for voluntary movements. When the dopamine system in the brain is altered, a person may develop disorders like Parkinson’s disease. Parkinson’s disease is a movement disorder characterized by tremors, impaired balance, impaired coordination, and rigid muscles due to the loss of dopamine-producing neurons and therefore decreased dopamine levels in a brain region called the substantia nigra.
How do I use it in a sentence?
“Eating that delicious chocolate cake gave me the jolt of dopamine I needed after a stressful day at work”
The molecular structure of the dopamine molecule. Image is the author’s own work.
Related terms
Neurotransmitter
Serotonin
Glutamate
GABA
Fields of study in which this word is commonly used
Neuroscience
Physiology
Psychology
