A chemical messenger in the brain that helps control movement, motivation, and feelings of reward and pleasure. It plays a key role in learning from rewards and in habits and addictions.
From 'dopa' (short for dihydroxyphenylalanine) + '-mine', a common ending for amine chemicals. It was named in the mid-20th century as scientists discovered its structure and role in the nervous system. The word is a technical coinage built from chemical naming rules.
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