1. Neurons and Neurochemicals!

2. What is a Neuron Basic cells of the brain

3. Typical Neuron

4. Most important players in information transmission: Dendrites: receive information Axon: relays information Myelin sheath: allows information to move quickly, with nothing lost (think electricity!) Synaptic Terminal: sends information (via chemical signals) from one neuron to another

6. What are neurotransmitters? “Chemical messengers” in the brain Cross the synapse to pass signal to the next neuron Must “fit” into receptor sites on receiving neuron’s dendrites  ”binding”

7. Once the neurotransmitters are released into the synapse… Binding = absorbed by receiving neuron Reabsorbed by the sending neuron Picked up by “clean-up” cells (glial cells) “Floats on”

8. Neural Inhibitors Drugs that reduce neurotransmitters By stopping binding Synthetic Neurotransmitters Drugs that increase neurotransmitters By stopping re-uptake or clean-up

9. Serotonin Correlated to: – Appetite, Memory, Sleep, Pain, Regulating body temp, Mood ( depression, OCD, aggression)

10. Dopamine Correlated to: – Motor control, emotional responses, perception of pain and pleasure Too much: Schizophrenia, paranoia Too little: Parkinson’s Disease, loss of motor control

11. Norepinephrine Correlated to: – Attentiveness, sleep, learning, emotions (mood disorders)

12. Acetylcholine Correlated to: – Muscle contraction, attentiveness, aggression, thirst, Alzheimer’s disease

13. GABA Correlated to: – Motor control, vision, regulates anxiety

14. What are hormones? “Chemical messengers” in the body Hypothalamus in the brain triggers the pituitary gland to release hormones into the bloodstream Hormones bind to cells in the body

15. Testosterone Correlated to: – Aggression (sneaky vs violent!)

16. Cortisol Correlated to: – Long Term Fight or Flight Response/stress, healing

17. Adrenaline and Noradrenaline Correlated to: – Immediate Fight or Flight Response, stress