Neurotransmitters Flashcards
What is a neurotransmitter?
.Any chemical that diffuses across a neural synapse, binds to receptors on a postsynaptic neuron, and causes changes in the cells composition and behaviour.
Picture New Ronald lying down and one chemical symbol turning into many and diffusing across his body towards his head and his toes. When the chemicals reach either end there is a cell there. The chemical symbols make the cells change shape and enact a range of different behaviours .
What are the two types of neurotransmitters?
Inhibitory and Excitatory
What does an Inhibitory Neurotransmitter do?
An inhibitory neurotransmitter makes the postsynaptic neuron less likely to fire and propagate an action potential.
Postsynaptic - a post with a posh plate and napkin with a deviled egg on it (picture egg with horns) that has a tic
Picture Nero preventing the talking the deviled egg with a tic from passing him but also talking him out of shooting someone
Postsynaptic Neuron
A neuron to the cell body or dendrite of which an electrical impulse is transmitted across a synaptic cleft by the release of a chemical neurotransmitter from the axon terminal of a presynaptic neuron.
Neurotransmitters released by Pre-synaptic neurons cross the synaptic cleft and bind to receptors of the postsynaptic neuron. Which can cause ion gates to open changing the action and change its action potential.
How many Neurotransmitters have been identified in the human system?
More than 60.
Picture Nero with a router. (Neurotransmitter) Smokey Robinson has his arm around him.
Excitatory Neurotransmitter
Makes the postsynaptic neuron more likely to fire and propagate and action potential.
Picture Nero behind the post-plate-sinapp-with tic pushing him forward telling him to shoot already.
What is serotonin derived from?
Amino Acid Tryptophan.
Picture Sarah Toner monster tripping over a large toe and then fanning itself as it complains about someone putting a large toe in its way.
Dopamine
Dopamine is an inhibitory neurotransmitter involved in mood, reward circuit, sleep, pleasure and voluntary movement.
Picture Nero smoking a joint. There is something wrong with his face as it frownsimiles (mood) over and over and over again. While he hands out ribbons (rewards). He gets so stoned that he falls asleep. When he wakes up he uses his hand (voluntary movement) and jerks off (pleasure)
Serotonin
Serotonin is an inhibitory neurotransmitter involved in regulating mood, sleep, appetite and memory.
Picture Sarah Rolphe and Shannon Toner at recess as one two headed monster. You watch the monster at recess as it is prevents kids in the yard from getting angry, prevents kids from falling asleep, puts its hands in front of children’s mouths when they are trying to eat their lunches, and steals the RAM out of the nerds laptops doing work in the yard (memory).
Notes: Not sure yet if serotonin actually prevents these things from happening or what its actual effect is on these thing behaviours.
What are two main diseases that Dopamine is related to?
schizophrenia and Parkinson’s
Picture Nero smoking a joint while he talks to someone that isn’t there and shakes uncontrollably.
Norepinephrine
Fight or flight and activates the sympathetic nervous system.
Heart rate
Blood pressure
Glucose
Blood to muscles
Nora putting an Epipen into a friend. The friend pops up, heart pounding, with a blood pressure cuff on, eats some sugar and pumps up instantly like they were just at the gym (Arnold)
What is the image for Norepinephrine?
Nora sticking a pen into a friend.
What two things can norepinephrine function as?
Neurotransmitter and Hormone.
Picture Nora with Nero+Router and a moaning prostitute.
Epinephrine
Also activates the sympathetic nervous system for fight flight. Regulates heart, blood pressure, air passage diameter and metabolic shift.
Also both hormone and neurotransmitter (is adrenaline)
Picture stabbing Brent with a pen in his blood pressure cuff. You twist the pen and the heart that is beating out of his chest slows to a crawl, blood pressure cuff deflates and he starts breathing easier because his throat widens
Acetylcholine
Acetylcholine is involved in muscle movements of both the autonomic nervous system, where it has an inhibitory effect on the heart rate, and the somatic nervous system, where it has an excitatory effect on skeletal muscle action. Also plays a role in REM.
Ace taking a seat on a line of coal. The ace is turning heart alarm clocks (beating is the alarm) down and prevents anyone from trying to turn it back up (inhibitory in auto nerve system) and he is also electrifying skeletons that come by also.
What is Glutamate?
Key role in growth and development of neurons and is highly involved in cognitive functions like hearing and memory.
Picture Liz and I glued together we are working on a production line of New Ron McDonald’s, hearing aids and memory sticks.
What is a neural synapse?
In the nervous system, a synapse is a structure that permits a neuron (or nerve cell) to pass an electrical or chemical signal to another cell (neural or otherwise).
Picture Nero with a silver tray. Neurons on either side of him are trying to pass deviled eggs (with horns) through him to each other.
What is a Neuron?
a specialized cell transmitting nerve impulses; a nerve cell.
Picture Ronald McDonald with a red “New” logo slapped over top of him on an angle, in a cell with a nerve. Ron is on a walki talki transmitting the impulsive actions of the nerve to an unknown entity.
What is the most abundant excitatory neurotransmitter in the vertebrate nervous system?
Glutamate
Picture lots and lots of Liz-glued to-Me’s placed up and down a spinal column.
What is the function of the neurotransmitter GABA?
Gamma Aminobutyric Acid regulates neuronal exitability, relieves anxiety, induces relaxation and is involved in regulation of muscle tone.
Picture a half baby half lamb alternating between saying
“GA” and “BA”. The baby goes around to a man biting his nails/worrying, touches him and he stops biting/worrying. Then makes the man get into a comfortable position (relaxation). Then touches him again causing his muscle definition to tighten up so the muscles are now visible.
What is the most abundant inhibitory neurotransmitter in the mammalian central nervous system?
GABA
Picture a biology class where the teacher is classifying animals. A picture of many “GA”BA” baby/lambs are on the board under the heading “Mammals”.
What is the function of the neurotransmitter glycine?
Glycine acts as an inhibitory neurotransmitter, most commonly in the spinal cord, brain stem and retina.
Picture a painter painting a picture of a hang glider gliding past a picturesque scene that the glider does not belong in. Picture the glider scene preventing a brain stem, spinal cord and a retina from coming into the picture and going for a glide.
What are the functions of Beta-Endorphins?
Beta-endorphin activates opioid receptors, resulting in significant pain relief and relaxation, particularly after physical trauma.
Picture the beta endorphine tape limps into an opium den activating an opium pipe. As soon as he lights it he straightens up (pain relief), assumes a relaxing position with his hands behind his head, and tells the Chinese den master about the bat hitting his leg that caused him to limp.
What are the functions of the neurotransmitter substance P?
Substance P is closely associated with perception of pain, the body’s inflammation response where it acts as a vasodilator.
Picture someone with their hand crushed but not noticing it. They take a pill (burning P with “Substance” written on it). Immediately they start to scream from the pain and their hand swells up.
