Tryptamine structure

Tryptamine is a monoamine alkaloid. It contains an indole ring structure and a side-chain amine. Substituted tryptamines, or serotonin analogues, are organic compounds, which can be derived from tryptamine. All tryptamines contain an indole ring joined to an ethylamine side chain (ie, an amino (NH2) group attached to an ethyl group (−CH2–CH2−)). In substituted tryptamines, the indole ring, ethyl group, and amino group may be modified by substituting another group for one of the hydrogen atoms. Serotonin, for example, is 5-hydroxytryptamine (5HT), so a hydroxyl (-OH) group is substituted for the hydrogen at the number 5 position on the indole ring. The amino acid tryptophan is also a substituted tryptamine, in which one of the hydrogen atoms on the amine group is replaced by a carboxyl group (COOH). (Contributed by Douglas Lanska 2016.)