science

Phenylalaninol

Phenylalaninol is a science topic covered in the lgStudy science library. This page brings together a partial reference excerpt, illustrations, worked examples, real-world applications and a short study plan, so you can understand Phenylalaninol rather than just read about it. In short: Phenylalaninol (code name PAL-329), or DL-phenylalaninol, also known as phenylmethylethanolamine or as α-(hydroxymethyl)phenethylamine, is a psychostimulant and monoamine releasing agent (MRA) of the phenethylamine family. It is related to the amino acid phenylalanine and to the phenethylamine psychostimulants β-phenethylamine (phenylethylamine) and amphetamine (α-methylphenethylamine).

Key takeaways

Phenylalaninol belongs to science; place it in that map before memorising details.
Learn the definition first, then one example that makes the definition concrete.
Connect Phenylalaninol to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
Reproduce the core statement of Phenylalaninol from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

Phenylalaninol (code name PAL-329), or DL-phenylalaninol, also known as phenylmethylethanolamine or as α-(hydroxymethyl)phenethylamine, is a psychostimulant and monoamine releasing agent (MRA) of the phenethylamine family. It is related to the amino acid phenylalanine and to the phenethylamine psychostimulants β-phenethylamine (phenylethylamine) and amphetamine (α-methylphenethylamine). Phenylalaninol is a psychostimulant and selective norepinephrine releasing agent (NRA) or norepinephrine-preferring norepinephrine–dopamine releasing agent (NDRA). The EC50Tooltip half-maximal effective concentration values of phenylalaninol for monoamine release are 106 nM for norepinephrine, 1,355 nM for dopamine, and >10,000 nM for serotonin in rat brain synaptosomes. It is dramatically less potent as an MRA than phenethylamine or amphetamine. The potency of phenylalaninol in inducing norepinephrine release is 13-fold higher than its potency in inducing dopamine release. Similarly to other dopamine releasers like amphetamine, the drug shows cocaine-like effects and reinforcing properties in rhesus monkeys. The much greater potency of phenylalaninol in inducing norepinephrine over inducing dopamine release does not appear to interfere with its dopamine release-mediated reinforcing effects. The clinically used stimulant, wakefulness-promoting agent, and well-balanced norepinephrine–dopamine reuptake inhibitor (NDRI) solriamfetol (brand name Sunosi; O-carbamoyl-D-phenylalaninol) is a derivative of phenylalaninol with a carbamoyl substitution at the hydroxyl group of the molecule. Phenylalaninol is a known impurity in chemical synthesis of solriamfetol. The predicted log P of phenylalaninol is 0.7 to 0.77 and hence it is relatively hydrophilic. The compound appears to be actively transported in the body by some of the same transporters that transport phenylalanine, such as LAT3.

References

Illustrations

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with Phenylalaninol

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what Phenylalaninol claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In science, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to Phenylalaninol before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about Phenylalaninol ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of Phenylalaninol

In research: Phenylalaninol appears in science research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry: Engineering practice reuses Phenylalaninol in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom: Phenylalaninol is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics Alcohols, Norepinephrine-dopamine releasing agents, Norepinephrine releasing agents, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for Phenylalaninol outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.

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How to study Phenylalaninol in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what Phenylalaninol means in your own words.
Compare your version with the excerpt and mark what you missed.
Work through the three examples above with pen and paper.
Explain Phenylalaninol out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is Phenylalaninol in simple terms?

Why does Phenylalaninol matter?

Because it connects several science ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study Phenylalaninol?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on Phenylalaninol.