Dopamine is a neurotransmitter. You can think of that as a brain chemical messenger. Dopamine transmits signals between a region in the brain called the substantia nigra, and other parts of the brain. When the connection between the substantia nigra and other parts of the brain is broken, it is hard for your body to make smooth movements. Your motor abilities end up severely impaired as less dopamine is made. There is plenty of information available to understand Parkinson's disease.