Explore the fascinating world of tachykinins with “TACHYKININS: 164 (Handbook of Experimental Pharmacology)”. This comprehensive volume delves into the discovery and evolution of substance P and related peptide families, tracing their origins from early 20th-century research to their modern understanding as crucial messenger systems. Discover the historical significance of substance P, its identification as an undecapeptide, and the emergence of neurokinin A and B in mammals. The book examines the intriguing possibility that these potent peptides, found in diverse species from amphibians to microbes, represent an ancient system of biological weapons transformed for biological signaling. Essential reading for pharmacologists, neuroscientists, and researchers interested in peptide signaling and evolutionary biology.