Morphine

Morphine is **not a target molecule or receptor**; it is a small-molecule drug classified as a natural opium alkaloid and the principal active compound of opium[1][3][5][9]. Morphine acts pharmacologically as a classic opioid analgesic by binding to and activating opioid receptors—primarily the mu-opioid receptor—in the central and peripheral nervous systems to block pain transmission[2][6][7]. It is used to manage moderate to severe pain and has been foundational in the development of both opioid receptor pharmacology and analgesic drug development. As such, morphine is a **ligand (drug)**, not a therapeutic target (such as a receptor, enzyme, or transporter) and should not be catalogued as a drug target[2][3][7].\n\n**Note:**\n- If you are seeking information about morphine's primary therapeutic target, it is the **mu-opioid receptor** (sometimes abbreviated as MOR or OPRM1), which is a G protein-coupled receptor involved in pain modulation and other physiological processes[2][6][7].\n- For structured information, please use the **mu-opioid receptor** as the canonical therapeutic target in drug-target databases.

Other names

(−)-morphineMorfinaMorphiaMorphinMorphinumMorphiumAnhydrous morphine