Adrenaline and its receptors: one hundred years of research

One hundred years ago, Oliver and Schäfer reported that crude extracts from the adrenal medulla produced marked physiological effects. It was the birth of adrenaline for biomedical research. The purpose of this review is to commemorate the 100th Anniversary of this discovery by briefly presenting to the readers a historical account of the major discoveries and some current ideas on the actions and mechanisms of action of this hormone and neurotransmitter.