Neurotransmitters

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‍Definition:
Specialized chemicals that facilitate or inhibit the transmission of impulses from one neuron to the next. A chemical substance that is released into the synaptic cleft from the axon terminal of a sending neuron, crosses a synapse, and binds to appropriate receptor sites on the dendrites or the cell body of a receiving neuron, influencing the cell either to fire or not to fire. Gen Psych Chapter 2 p. 38 pp. 38-43 Related to: Vocabulary page

A simple organic chemical in the catecholamine and phenethylamine families that plays a number of important roles in the brains and bodies of animals.

Examples:

 * Acetylcholine (Ach):** Affects movement, learning, memory, REM sleep.
 * Dopamine (DA):** Affects movement, attention, learning, reinforcement, pleasure.
 * Norepinephrine (NE):** Affects eating, alertness, wakefulness.
 * Epinephrine**: Affects metabolism of glucose, energy released during exercise.
 * Serotonin:** Affects mood, sleep, appetite, impulsiveness, aggression.
 * Glutamate**: Active in areas of the brain involved in learning, thought, and emotion.
 * GABA:** Facilitates neural inhibition in the central nervous system.
 * Endorphins:** Provide relief from pain and feelings of pleasure and well-being.

Analogies:
If a cell of the receiving neuron is a gunman on a mission, then the neurotransmitter is the comander who signals for the shot to be fired or not.

Mnemonics:
G- gunman A- are N- neurotransmitters

In the News:
[] Neurotransmitters are chemicals that are used to relay, amplify and modulate electrical signals between a neuron and another cell.

[] A new study published in the journal //Biological Psychiatry// shows that people may react this way, in part, because they have lower levels of the neurotransmitter GABA (gamma-aminobutyric acid). GABA is the most important inhibitory neurotransmitter and is expressed in a specific part of the brain involved in regulating self-control. “Advances in brain imaging techniques mean we are able to investigate different and specific areas of the human brain and see how they regulate people’s behavior,” said Frederic Boy, Ph.D., who led the research... ‍

Educational Videos

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Called What is dopamine