Homovanillyl alcohol
Encyclopedia
Homovanillyl alcohol is a metabolite
of hydroxytyrosol
, which in turn is a metabolite of the neurotransmitter
dopamine
.
Metabolite
Metabolites are the intermediates and products of metabolism. The term metabolite is usually restricted to small molecules. A primary metabolite is directly involved in normal growth, development, and reproduction. Alcohol is an example of a primary metabolite produced in large-scale by industrial...
of hydroxytyrosol
Hydroxytyrosol
Hydroxytyrosol is a phytochemical with antioxidant properties. After gallic acid, hydroxytyrosol is believed to be one of the most powerful antioxidants...
, which in turn is a metabolite of the neurotransmitter
Neurotransmitter
Neurotransmitters are endogenous chemicals that transmit signals from a neuron to a target cell across a synapse. Neurotransmitters are packaged into synaptic vesicles clustered beneath the membrane on the presynaptic side of a synapse, and are released into the synaptic cleft, where they bind to...
dopamine
Dopamine
Dopamine is a catecholamine neurotransmitter present in a wide variety of animals, including both vertebrates and invertebrates. In the brain, this substituted phenethylamine functions as a neurotransmitter, activating the five known types of dopamine receptors—D1, D2, D3, D4, and D5—and their...
.