Serotonin

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Serotonin

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Chemical name5-Hydroxy-tryptamine or3-(2-aminoethyl)-1H-indol-5-ol

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Chemical formulaC10H12N2O

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Molecular mass176.22 g/mol

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CAS number50-67-9

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SMILESNCCC1=CNC2=C1C=C(O)C=C2

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Serotonin (5-hydroxytryptamine, or 5-HT) is a monoamine neurotransmitter synthesised in serotonergic neurons in the central nervous system and enterochromaffin cells in the gastrointestinal tract.

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Serotonin is believed to play an important part of the biochemistry of depression, migraine, bipolar disorder and anxiety. It is also believed to be influential on sexuality and appetite.

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The name "serotonin" is something of a misnomer and reflects the circumstances of the compound's discovery. It was initially identified as a vasoconstrictor substance in blood serum - hence "serotonin", a serum agent affecting vascular tone. This agent was later chemically identified as 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT) and as the broad range of physiological roles were elucidated, 5-HT became the preferred name in the pharmacological field.

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Monoamine: In biochemistry, monoamines are a group of organic compounds containing only one amino group. Several mood disorders are explained as due to either an excess or deficiency of monoamines. When a cell needs to transport a monoamine in or out of a cell, they use a class of proteins called monoamine tra...

Neurotransmitter: Neurotransmitters are chemicals that are used to relay, amplify and modulate electrical signals between a neuron and another cell. According to the dogma of the 1960's, a chemical can be classified as a neurotransmitter if it respects the following conditions:...

Enterochromaffin: Enterochromaffin (EC) cells occur in the epithelia lining the lumen of the gastrointestinal tract (e.g., stomach, small intestine/bowel, large intestine/bowel). They produce and contain about 90% of the body's store of serotonin (5-HT). They are called "entero" http://www.medterms.com/script/main/...