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Monoamine Structure

Psychedelic amines look very much like the endogenous neurotransmitters serotonin, norepinephrine, and dopamine. The 6-carbon benzene ring is the starting point for the amphetamines, the phenethylamines (phenol being any benzene structure with at least one hydroxyl group attached to the ring), and the catecholamines (catechol being a benzene ring with two hydroxyl groups attached to the ring). The basic indole ring structure is a 6-carbon benzene ring with an extra 5-sided ring containing 4 carbons and a single nitrogen, and is the starting point for all of the tryptamines, also knows as indoleamines or indolealkylamines. The actual amine structure of each molecule is the nitrogen group (or tail) that hangs off the ring of each type of chemical. By changing the shape of the amine tail or by making additions or substitutions to the root ring of each chemical type, you can produce an endless array of "designer" amine derivatives, which may or may not be psychoactive.

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