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Catecholamines are chemical compounds derived from the amino acid tyrosine that act as hormones or neurotransmitters. They are examples of phenethylamines. Catecholamines are soluble so they circulate dissolved in blood.
The most abundant catecholamines are epinephrine (adrenaline), norepinephrine (noradrenaline) and dopamine. They are produced mainly from the adrenal medulla and the postganglionic fibers of the sympathetic nervous system. Adrenaline acts as a neurotransmitter in the central nervous system and as a hormone in the blood circulation. Noradrenaline is primarily a neurotransmitter of the peripheral sympathetic nervous system but is also present in the blood (mostly through "spillover" from the synapses of the sympathetic system).
Catecholamines levels in blood are associated with stress. Catecholamines cause general physiological changes that prepare the body for physical activity (e.g. exercise). Some typical effects are increases in heart rate, blood pressureBlood pressure or arterial blood pressure is the pressure (force per unit area) exerted by the blood on the walls of the blood vessels. Unless indicated otherwise, blood pressure refers to the pressure in the large arteries, such as the brachial artery (i, and blood glucose levels. Some drugs, like selegiline, raise the levels of all the catecholamines.
See also
- Catechol-O-methyl transferaseCatechol-O-methyl transferase (COMT (EC 2. 6) is an enzyme first discovered by biochemist Julius Axelrod. COMT is the name given to the gene which codes for this enzyme. Catechol-O-methyl transferase is involved in the breakdown of the catecholamine neuro
- HormoneNote that "Hormone" is the NATO reporting name for the Soviet/Russian Kamov Ka-25 military helicopter. A hormone (from Greek horman "to set in motion") is a chemical messenger from one cell (or group of cells) to another. All multicellular organisms (incl
- Steroid hormoneSteroid hormones are steroids which act as hormones. They can be grouped into five groups by the receptors to which they bind: glucocorticoids, mineralocorticoids, androgens, estrogens, and progestins. Vitamin D derivatives are a sixth closely related hor
- Peptide hormonePeptide hormones are a class of peptides that are secreted into the blood stream and have endocrine functions in living animals. Like other proteins, peptide hormones are synthesized from amino acids according to an mRNA template, which is itself synthesi
- Phenethylamines
- Julius AxelrodJulius Axelrod ( May 30, 1912 ) is an influential American biochemist. His work on the release and reuptake of catecholamine neurotransmitters won him the Nobel Prize in Medicine in 1970, which he shared along with Bernard Katz and Ulf von Euler. Axelrod
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