beta-endorphin

American

[bey-tuh-en-dawr-fin, bee-] / ˌbeɪ tə ɛnˈdɔr fɪn, ˌbi- /

noun

a potent endorphin released by the anterior pituitary gland in response to pain, trauma, exercise, or other forms of stress.

Etymology

Origin of beta-endorphin

First recorded in 1975–80

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Further laboratory studies by the team suggest that β-MSH and beta-endorphin are important in determining hunger and moderating energy use, and their role is independent of the presence of α-MSH.

From Science Daily • Mar. 6, 2024

Others are long, such as beta-endorphin, which is 31 amino acids long.

From Textbooks • Jun. 19, 2013

Increase in cortisol, beta-endorphin, noradrenaline when a needle invades the abdomen.

From Slate • Dec. 1, 2011

Naltrexone, meantime, blocks beta-endorphin, a chemical that normally ratchets down the activity of POMC.

From US News • Mar. 19, 2010

The object: to release a flow of beta-endorphin, a morphine-like substance produced by the nerve cells that acts as the body's own internal painkiller.

From Time Magazine Archive

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023