beta-endorphin

American

[bay-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.

See Examples For:

beta-endorphin

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

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