Neurochemicals

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. Substances in the brain and nervous system that act as chemical messengers; important for communication between neurons and affecting mood, behavior, and physiological functions
2. Chemicals produced by the nervous system that influence mood, cognition, and bodily functions by transmitting signals between neurons; instrumental in various neurological processes
3. Biochemical compounds in the nervous system that facilitate communication between nerve cells; they play a crucial role in regulating emotions, thoughts, and various bodily activities

Etymology: "Neurochemicals" is simply the plural of "neurochemical", a compound built from two parts that each have their own history. The first part, "neuro-", comes from the ancient Greek "neûron", which meant sinew, tendon or cord, and was only later applied to the nerves that run through the body. The second part, "chemical", traces back to "khumeíā", an ancient Greek word for the art of mixing metals and alloys. That term was borrowed into Arabic as "al-kīmiyāʔ", passed into Medieval Latin as "alchēmia", and was reshaped in New Latin into "chēmia", the root of modern chemistry. The combined word is a modern coinage. "Chemical" entered English through Old French and Middle English, and "neurochemical" was formed in English by attaching "neuro-" to it, so the compound postdates the scientific study of nerve chemistry it names. The result is a word whose two halves come from a Greek word for a tendon and an Arabic-influenced word for alchemy, joined to describe the substances that carry signals between nerve cells.

Synonyms: neurotransmitters, neuromodulators