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The Curious Bag
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Dopamine is a neurotransmitter, which means a chemical messenger that carries signals between brain cells. This chemical is produced in the part of the brain known as the substantia nigra, which is located in the mid-brain.
Identification
Cells that produce the brain chemical dopamine are known as dopaminergic cells, according to S.J. Chinta and J.K. Andersen of the Neurobiology Department of the Buck Institute for Age Research.
Location
Dopaminergic cells lie in a part of the substantia nigra known as the pars compacta, according to Diana Weedman Molavi, Ph.D., of the Washington University School of Medicine. The other portion of the substantia nigra is known as the pars reticulata, which helps control movements of the eyes and head.
Significance
Dopaminergic cells are part of a larger brain unit known as the mesencephalic dopaminergic system (meaning literally mid-brain dopamine-producing system), according to Chinta and Andersen.
Effects
Dopamine production and use in the brain is linked to voluntary motion and processes like mood, addiction and stress, according to Chinta and Andersen.
Considerations
The loss of dopaminergic cells leads to Parkinson's disease and other similar disorders (termed parkinsonism, collectively), according to Molavi.
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