Dopamine

High school (ages 12+)
Human Body

Name:

Date:

Step 1 · Read the article

Open the article and read it at the level above. Then answer the questions below in your own words.

https://smallwhale.org/articles/dopamine

Write what each word means, using the article.

Do not copy the article. Write two things you learned, the way you would explain them to a friend.

Answers below are taken from the article’s stored facts, so they match what the student read.

1. What is the chemical formula?C8H11NO2
2. What is the primary synthesis sites?Substantia nigra and ventral tegmental area
3. Why does dopamine make me feel happy?When we eat food, talk with friends, or do something fun, dopamine is released and tells our brain that the activity is rewarding. This makes us want to do it again.
4. How does dopamine help me move?Dopamine helps us move our bodies smoothly. When it is missing in a part of the brain called the nigrostriatal pathway, people can get tremors, stiffness, and slow movements, like in Parkinson’s disease.

Catecholamine: A type of neurotransmitter derived from the amino acid tyrosine.
Nigrostriatal Pathway: A major dopamine pathway crucial for motor control, originating in the substantia nigra.
Ventral Tegmental Area (VTA): A key brain region involved in the reward and motivation circuitry.