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

2. 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

3. 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?

4. 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

5. 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

6. 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

7. 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

8. 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)

9. 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

10. 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!

11. 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

12. 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