Melatonin vs Serotonin: what is the difference?
Melatonin is made from serotonin in two steps; melatonin is the body's nightfall signal, while serotonin works mostly by day and mostly in the gut.
Two differences: an acetyl group and a methyl group on melatonin.
Sources and notes
- The sentence under the titlefrom sourceMoleculeFinder comparison notesThe pair's answer line.
- The two drawingscomputedMoleculeFinder rule (RDKit MCS)Drawn the same way round on the skeleton they share; the amber marks where the two differ.
- The captionfrom sourceMoleculeFinder curated
- What is highlightedfrom sourceMoleculeFinder curatedOne line under each drawing, written from the atoms the amber marks.
- Structural similaritycomputedRDKit Morgan/Tanimoto0.39 of 1, a Morgan fingerprint Tanimoto coefficient. It measures shape, not effect.
Side by side
| Melatonin | Serotonin | |
|---|---|---|
| Molecular weightCalculated PubChem | 232.28 g/molC13H16N2O2 | 176.21 g/molC10H12N2O |
| Hydrogen-bond donorsCalculated PubChem | 2 | 3 |
| Half-life in the bodyEditorial MoleculeFinder curated | about 0.75 h | Not recorded |
| FamilyEditorial MoleculeFinder curated | Amines | Neurotransmitters |
| Everyday groupEditorial MoleculeFinder curated | Body | Body |
| Chemical groupsCalculated Found by rule (RDKit) | Aromatics, Amides, Ethers | Amines, Aromatics, Phenols |
| Hazard labelReported ECHA via PubChem | Not recorded | Danger |
| The supplier-filed hazard label's signal word, not a statement about ordinary use. | ||
Sources and notes
- Molecular weightcomputedPubChemComputed from the structure; the formula is under each weight.
- Hydrogen-bond donorscomputedPubChemThe hydrogens on nitrogen or oxygen that each molecule can lend to a hydrogen bond, counted from its structure.
- Half-life in the bodyfrom sourceMoleculeFinder curatedIn a typical adult: the time the body takes to clear half of it.
- Familyfrom sourceMoleculeFinder curated
- Everyday groupfrom sourceMoleculeFinder curated
- Chemical groupscomputedFound by rule (RDKit)Each group is found in the structure by a chemical pattern.
- Hazard labelfrom sourceECHA via PubChem
- ECHAfrom sourceAttributionSource: European Chemicals Agency, echa.europa.eu.
- Identifiersfrom sourcePubChemPubChem CID 896 (Melatonin) and 5202 (Serotonin).
In more detail
One is the raw material for the other rather than an alternative to it. The pineal gland runs that conversion in darkness, which is why melatonin is the body's nightfall signal and why light at night suppresses it. Serotonin's role is broader and mostly daytime and mostly not in the brain at all: around ninety percent of the body's serotonin is in the gut. The structures show the two added groups, an acetyl on the nitrogen and a methyl on the oxygen, which take serotonin's 176.21 to melatonin's 232.28. Melatonin is sold over the counter in the US and is prescription-only in much of Europe, while serotonin is not sold as a supplement at all because it does not cross into the brain from the bloodstream.
Sources and notes
- The paragraphfrom sourceMoleculeFinder comparison notes
Questions
- What is the difference between Melatonin and Serotonin?
- Melatonin is made from serotonin in two steps; melatonin is the body's nightfall signal, while serotonin works mostly by day and mostly in the gut.
- Is Melatonin bigger than Serotonin?
- Melatonin is the heavier molecule, 232.28 g/mol against 176.21 g/mol for Serotonin. Melatonin is C13H16N2O2 and Serotonin is C10H12N2O.
Sources and notes
- The answersfrom sourceMoleculeFinderThe first is the pair's answer line; the others are read off the table above.