neurotransmitters Please pick up a chart from the AP Psych tray & get out your neuron diagram from yesterday 

Neurotransmitters Chemical messengers that cross the synaptic gaps between neurons. When released, they travel across synapse and bind to receptor sites on the receiving neuron, thereby influencing whether that neuron will generate a neural impulse

How do drugs and other chemicals alter neurotransmission? Danger! Danger! We should not mess with our brain’s natural chemistry unless necessary If you introduce your brain to artificial chemicals (like heroin) to achieve a “high”, then after a while, your brain will stop producing those chemicals on its own Like ourselves, the brain can choose to be lazy if it wants---why make all these neurotransmitters myself if I don’t have to?

Agonist vs Antagonist Agonist: molecule that can be similar enough to a neurotransmitter that it will mimic its effects (binds to a receptor site to “release”) Antagonist: molecule that can be similar enough to a neurotransmitter that will bind to a receptor site and block or inhibit a response

Acetycholine (Ach) Function: stimulates muscle contraction (skeletal and smooth); attention, memory, learning, and general intellectual functioning Deficit: Alzheimer’s Disease (lack of muscle movement & control: paralysis) Surplus: severe muscle spasms Excitatory/Inhibitory: excitatory Extra: plastic surgery/botulin & currare

Dopamine Function: involved in voluntary movement, pleasurable emotions, attention, and learning Deficit: Parkinson’s Disease, anxiety disorders, memory problems, ADHD Surplus: schizophrenia, drug addiction Excitatory/Inhibitory: excitatory & inhibitory

Serotonin Function: moods and emotional states, hunger regulation of sleep and wakefulness Deficit: depression, mood disorders Surplus: aggression, mania (manic state of bipolar disorder) Excitatory/Inhibitory: inhibitory

Norepineprhine (also released as a hormone) Function: used for arousal in the fight/flight response, modulation of mood, plays a role in learning and memory retrieval (hormone in blood- blood vessels contract/heart rate increases) Deficit: mental disorders, especially depression Surplus: anxiety Excitatory/Inhibitory: excitatory Extra (SSRI: selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors)

GABA Function: motor control, helps offset excitatory messages/regulates anxiety and regulate daily sleep-wake cycles Deficit: anxiety, seizures, tremors, and insomnia Surplus: sleep/eating disorders Excitatory/Inhibitory: inhibitory

Endorphins Function: involved in pain perception and positive emotions. Similar to opiate family of drugs Deficit: body experiences pain Surplus: body may not give adequate warning about pain. Artificial highs Excitatory/Inhibitory: inhibitory Extra: exercise!

Glutamate Function: used in memory, learning, movement. Helps messages cross the synapse more efficiently Deficit: Alzheimer’s memory malfunctions Surplus: too much glutamate (and too late GABA) associated with epileptic seizures) Excitatory/Inhibitory: excitatory

Neuron Quiz  Clear off your desks of everything except a pencil Write your name on the paper and bubble in the GradeCam ID number When you are done, submit your quiz to the top tray and the quiz to the middle tray