endorphin (redirected from Endorphins)

en·dor·phin  (n-dôrfn)

n.

Any of a group of peptide hormones that bind to opiate receptors and are found mainly in the brain. Endorphins reduce the sensation of pain and affect emotions.

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[endo(genous) + (mo)rphin(e).]

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endorphin

Noun

any of a group of chemicals found in the brain, which have an effect similar to morphine

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endorphin  (n-dôrfn)

Any of a group of peptide substances secreted by the anterior portion of the pituitary gland that inhibit the perception of painful stimuli. Endorphins act as neurotransmitters in the pain pathways of the brain and spinal cord. Narcotic drugs may stimulate the secretion of endorphins.

A Closer Look Endorphins are long chains of amino acids, or polypeptides, that are able to bind to the neuroreceptors in the brain and are capable of relieving pain in a manner similar to that of morphine. There are three major types of endorphins: beta-endorphins are found almost entirely in the pituitary gland, while enkephalins and dynorphins are both distributed throughout the nervous system. Scientists had suspected that analgesic opiates, such as morphine and heroin, worked effectively against pain because the body had receptors that were activated by such drugs. They reasoned that these receptors probably existed because the body itself had natural painkilling compounds that also bonded to those receptors. When scientists in the 1970s isolated a biochemical from a pituitary gland hormone that showed analgesic properties, Choh Li, a chemist from Berkeley, California, named it endorphin, meaning "the morphine within." Besides behaving as a pain reducer, endorphins are also thought to be connected to euphoric feelings, appetite modulation, and the release of sex hormones. Prolonged, continuous exercise contributes to an increased production of endorphins and, in some people, the subsequent "runner's high."

Thesaurus

Noun

1.

endorphin - a neurochemical occurring naturally in the brain and having analgesic properties peptide - amide combining the amino group of one amino acid with the carboxyl group of another; usually obtained by partial hydrolysis of protein neurochemical - any organic substance that occurs in neural activity beta endorphin - an endorphin produced by the pituitary gland that suppresses pain enkephalin - an endorphin having opiate qualities that occurs in the brain and spinal cord and elsewhere