Neuro psych Quiz 2.2 Flashcards
Neurotransmitters
chemicals released by a neuron that affect another neuron
What are the major categories of neurotransmitters?
1) Amino acids
2) monoamines
3) acetylcholine
4) neuropeptides
5) purines
6) gases
Amino acids
Acids containing an amine group (NH2)
monoamines
Chemicals formed by a change in certain amino acids
acetylcholine
a chemical similar to an amino acid, except that it includes an N(CH3)3 group instead of an NH2
neuropeptides
chains of amino acids
purines
a category of chemicals including adenosine and its derivatives
gases
nitric oxide and others
what is the oddest transmitter?
Nitric oxide
What does a highly active brain area do to increase its blood supply?
it releases nitric oxide which dilates the blood vessels in the area and increases blood flow.
Catecholamines
compounds that contain a catechol group and an amine group (epinephrine, norepinephrine, and dopamine)
vesicles
tiny spherical packets that store high concentrations of neurotransmitter molecules.
Monoamine oxidase (MAO)
breaks down transmitters (serotonin, dopamine, norepinephrine) into inactive chemicals
What was the first antidepressant drugs that psychiatrists discovered?
MAO inhibitors
exocytosis
bursts of release of neurotransmitter from from the presynaptic neuron after calcium enters the terminal
ionotropic effects
effects begin quickly and decay swiftly. Good for visual, auditory, and any other information that needs to be given swiftly
transmitter-gated/ligand-gated channels
channels controlled by a neurotransmitter
What is the most common ionotropic inhibitory
GABA
metabotropic effects
initiates a sequence of metabolic reactions that are slower, and longer lasting
G-protein
a protein coupled to guanosine triphosphate, an energy storing molecule
second messenger
communicates to many areas in the cell (cAMP)
neuromodulators/neuropeptides
synthesized in the cell body, released from dendrites, cell body, and sides of axon, released by repeated depolarization, release the neuropeptides at neighboring cells, diffuse to a wide area, and last for several minutes.
hallucinogenic drugs
drugs that distort perception, such as LSD
Nicotine
compound present in tobacco, stimulates a family of acetylcholine receptors