Serotonin (5-hydroxytryptamine, 5-HT) was isolated and characterized in 1948 by Maurice Rapport and Irvine Page. The isolation of serotonin came after decades of investigation to characterize a vasoconstrictor substance that was suspected to be contained in platelets. It was discovered in blood, peripheral tissues and central nervous system.
In the human body serotonin is synthesized in two independent compartments that are separated by brain-blood barrier. The majority of serotonin is synthesized in enterochromaffin cells of the gastrointestinal tract, released in the blood stream and stored in blood platelets.
Serotonin regulates numerous biological processes including cardiovascular function, bowel motility, ejaculatory latency, and bladder control.
Serotonin is implicated in many physiological (body temperature, sleep, vomiting, sexuality, appetite), behavioral (aggression, mood) and cognitive (learning, memory) functions.
New work and research suggest that serotonin may regulate some processes, including platelet aggregation, by receptor independent, transglutaminase-dependent covalent linkage to cellular proteins.
The biological function of serotonin plays several roles in the human body, such as influencing learning, memory, happiness, and reward, as well as physiological processes such as regulation of sleep, behavior, and appetite.
Serotonin plays a significant role in the pharmacodynamic activities of antidepressants, such as SSRIs and SNRIS. Lack of enough serotonin is thought to play a role in depression, anxiety, mania and other health conditions.
When serotonin is at normal levels, people feel more focused, emotionally stable, happier and calmer. Low levels of serotonin are associated with depression.
The behavioral and neuropsychological processes modulated by serotonin include mood, perception, reward, anger, aggression, appetite, memory, sexuality, and attention, among others.
The roles of serotonin in human body
