dopa decarboxylase

the intermediate enzyme in the metabolism of catecholamines from the dietary amino acid tyrosine. Tyrosine is transformed to L-dopa by tyrosine hydroxylase. L-dopa is in turn converted to dopamine by dopa decarboxylase, which also transforms a number of other aromatic amino acids. Dopamine is the final product in dopaminergic neurons; in adrenergic neurons, dopamine is transformed by the enzyme dopamine beta-hydroxylase to norepinephrine and subsequently—in specialized cells in the adrenal medulla and other sites, via the action of the enzyme phenylethanolamine N-methyltransferase—to epinephrine. Also called aromatic L-amino acid decarboxylase.

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Psychology term of the day

January 18th 2025

consistent missing

in parapsychology experiments using Zener cards or similar targets, the phenomenon in which a participant’s “calls,” or guesses, are consistently wrong or significantly below chance expectations. Some people attribute such systematic failure to processing error or a conscious or nonconscious reluctance to confirm psychic ability. See also psi-missing.