Dopamine and its Relation to Age Related Physical Inactivity
Dopamine is a monoamine neurotransmitter, meaning that it’s derived from an amino acid(1). It is a catecholamine, meaning it contains a catechol nucleus(1). Dopamine is synthesized in areas of the central and peripheral nervous systems, mainly in the hypothalamus, from the amino acid tyrosine, it is converted to L-dopa, then decarboxylated to form dopamine(1). There are several areas of the brain where dopamine neurons are concentrated. The largest are the midbrain, the hypothalamus, olfactory bulb, and retina. There are also several major dopamine path-ways that carry dopamine from these areas of concentration to other parts of the brain (2).
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It's been forever known that dopamine is an important hormone but much attention has been recently put towards its role as a neurotransmitter. Therefore, this present article aims first discuss the role of dopamine as a neurotransmitter and then focus on its relationship with physical inactivity and especially the age-related physical inactivity
