Serotonin vs Dopamine: what is the difference?
Dopamine is tied to motivation, reward and movement, while most of the body's serotonin is in the gut, and neither one is simply a happiness molecule.
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. Aligned; 10 atoms differ, too many to mark as one group.
Side by side
| Serotonin | Dopamine | |
|---|---|---|
| Molecular weightCalculated PubChem | 176.21 g/molC10H12N2O | 153.18 g/molC8H11NO2 |
| Hydrogen-bond donorsCalculated PubChem | 3 | 3 |
| FamilyEditorial MoleculeFinder curated | Neurotransmitters | Neurotransmitters |
| Everyday groupEditorial MoleculeFinder curated | Body | Body |
| Chemical groupsCalculated Found by rule (RDKit) | Amines, Aromatics, Phenols | Amines, Aromatics, Phenols |
| Hazard labelReported ECHA via PubChem | Danger | Warning |
| The supplier-filed hazard label's signal word, not a statement about ordinary use. | ||
| LD50Measured HSDB via PubChem | Not recorded | 59 mg/kgpure dopamine, mouse, intravenous |
| A single acute animal measure. It ranks nothing about human safety. | ||
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.
- 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
- LD50from sourceHSDB via PubChem
- ECHAfrom sourceAttributionSource: European Chemicals Agency, echa.europa.eu.
- Identifiersfrom sourcePubChemPubChem CID 5202 (Serotonin) and 681 (Dopamine).
In more detail
Both are monoamine neurotransmitters built from an amino acid, dopamine from tyrosine and serotonin from tryptophan, and both are routinely oversimplified in popular writing. Dopamine is tied to motivation and the anticipation of reward, the wanting rather than the liking, and it is also central to movement, which is what Parkinson's disease depletes. Serotonin is spread more widely still, with the large majority of the body's supply in the gut rather than the brain, where it regulates motility. Neither is a happiness molecule, and the calling of one the reward chemical and the other the happiness chemical does not survive contact with the pharmacology. Serotonin is also the direct precursor the body converts into melatonin at night.
Sources and notes
- The paragraphfrom sourceMoleculeFinder comparison notes
Questions
- What is the difference between Serotonin and Dopamine?
- Dopamine is tied to motivation, reward and movement, while most of the body's serotonin is in the gut, and neither one is simply a happiness molecule.
- Is Serotonin bigger than Dopamine?
- Serotonin is the heavier molecule, 176.21 g/mol against 153.18 g/mol for Dopamine. Serotonin is C10H12N2O and Dopamine is C8H11NO2.
Sources and notes
- The answersfrom sourceMoleculeFinderThe first is the pair's answer line; the others are read off the table above.