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Dopamine

Definition

Dopamine is a type of neurotransmitter, which is a chemical messenger that transmits signals in the brain and other areas of the body. It plays several important roles in the body, and it's found in high levels in certain parts of the brain.

Analogy

Think of dopamine as your brain's personal cheerleader. When you do something good or rewarding, like scoring a goal or eating your favorite food, dopamine gives you a pat on the back by creating feelings of pleasure and reward.

Related terms

Neurotransmitter: A substance that transmits nerve impulses across a synapse.

Reward System: A group of neural structures responsible for incentive salience (i.e., motivation and "wanting", desire, or craving for a reward), associative learning (primarily positive reinforcement and classical conditioning), and positively-valenced emotions, particularly ones involving pleasure as a core component.

Synapse: The junction between two neurons where information is transferred from one to another.