Definition:

Dopamine is a chemical that helps carry messages in the brain and body. It affects how we feel, move, and think.

How it is made?

1. Substantia Nigra

• Found in the midbrain

• Makes dopamine that helps control body movements

• Damage here causes Parkinson’s disease

2. Ventral Tegmental Area (VTA)

• Also in the midbrain

• Makes dopamine for pleasure, reward, and motivation

• Overactive in addiction

3. Hypothalamus

• Found near the base of the brain

• Makes dopamine to control hormones and body functions like sleep and hunger

Key points about dopamine:

• It makes you feel happy or satisfied when you do something enjoyable.

• It’s involved in learning, memory, and focus.

• It’s released when you do things like eating, exercising, achieving a goal, or even listening to music.

• Too little dopamine can lead to problems like Parkinson’s disease or depression.

• Too much dopamine, especially in the wrong areas, can be linked to addiction or mental health issues like schizophrenia

What dopamine does:

1. How Dopamine Travels – Dopamine moves through special “roads” in the brain, and each one does something different. Some help you feel happy or rewarded, others help you think clearly and make decisions, and some help you move your body properly.

2. Controls Hormones – Dopamine tells certain parts of your brain to stop or start making hormones. One hormone it controls is prolactin, which helps moms make milk after having a baby.

3. Affects Sleep – Dopamine helps you stay awake and alert. If there’s too little or too much, it can mess with your sleep.

4. Helps You Focus – Dopamine helps with paying attention and controlling impulses. People with ADHD may have trouble using dopamine the right way in their brain.

5. Made from Food – Your body makes dopamine from a building block called tyrosine, which comes from foods like cheese, eggs, meat, nuts, and soy.

6. Works in Your Body Too – Dopamine doesn’t just work in your brain — it also helps in your stomach and intestines, helping move food and control blood flow there.

7. Different in Everyone – People have different amounts of dopamine and react to it in different ways because of their genes. This is why some people are more excited by rewards or more sensitive to stress.