SHEET /vs/epinephrine-vs-norepinephrine · COMPARISON
Adrenaline vs Norepinephrine: what is the difference?
How they differ
One methyl group separates them, C9H13NO3 against C8H11NO3, and the enzyme that adds it works mostly in the adrenal medulla. That is the cleanest way to think about the pair: norepinephrine is the version the nervous system releases at nerve endings, and adrenaline is the version the adrenal gland pours into the blood as a hormone. They also favour different receptors. Norepinephrine acts mainly on alpha receptors, tightening blood vessels and raising blood pressure, while adrenaline hits beta receptors strongly too, which is what opens the airways and is the reason an adrenaline injector works for anaphylaxis. Both are naturally occurring and both carry a GHS Danger signal word in this catalog.
Side by side
| Adrenaline | Norepinephrine | |
|---|---|---|
| Formula | C9H13NO3 | C8H11NO3 |
| Molecular weight | 183.2 g/mol | 169.18 g/mol |
| Family | Neurotransmitters | Neurotransmitters |
| Everyday group | Body | Body |
| Functional groups | Alcohols, Amines, Aromatics, Phenols | Alcohols, Amines, Aromatics, Phenols |
| GHS signal wordThe supplier-filed hazard label, not a statement about ordinary use. | Danger | Danger |
| LD50A single acute animal measure. It ranks nothing about human safety. | 62 mg/kg (dermal, rat) | 20 mg/kg (oral, mouse) |
| CAS number | not recorded | 51-41-2 |
| PubChem CID | 5816 | 439260 |
Structural similarity 0.58 of 1, computed as a Morgan fingerprint Tanimoto coefficient. It measures shape, not effect.
Common questions
- What is the difference between Adrenaline and Norepinephrine?
- One methyl group separates them, C9H13NO3 against C8H11NO3, and the enzyme that adds it works mostly in the adrenal medulla. That is the cleanest way to think about the pair: norepinephrine is the version the nervous system releases at nerve endings, and adrenaline is the version the adrenal gland pours into the blood as a hormone. They also favour different receptors.
- Is Adrenaline bigger than Norepinephrine?
- Adrenaline is the heavier molecule, 183.2 g/mol against 169.18 g/mol for Norepinephrine. Adrenaline is C9H13NO3 and Norepinephrine is C8H11NO3.
Read the full records: Adrenaline and Norepinephrine.