Neurotransmitters

Question 1

What are neurotransmitters?

Answer 1

Neurotransmitters are chemical messengers that travel from one neuron to another in order to communicate a function.

Question 2

How does the activity move?

Answer 2

Electrical activity moves from the dendrites and cell body down the axon towards the terminal buttons/ axon terminals.

Question 3

How does neurotransmission work?

Answer 3

The key issues are that any imbalances in these neurotransmitters can result in mental ill health.
E.g. Too little serotonin= depression
Too much dopamine= schizophrenia
Too little dopamine= Parkinson’s disease

Question 4

What is an example of an imbalance in neurotransmitters?

Answer 4

For example, JJ Griffiths gave participants dextroamphetamine which is known to increase dopamine levels. His participants demonstrated psychotic behaviour including paranoia etc. This supports the idea that imbalances in neurotransmitters results in abnormal behaviour.

Question 5

What happens because neurons don’t touch?

Answer 5

Electrical impulses travel down from the cell body, along the axon towards the dendrites and axon terminals where they stimulate a chemical release. These chemicals are known as neurotransmitters. They cross the synaptic gap and are received by the dendrites of the next neuron where they then stimulate the electrical impulse and so on