SAQ Neurotransmitter Flashcards
What is neurotransmission and how does it relate to human behavior
Neurotransmission is the process through which neurons communicate by releasing chemicals called neurotransmitters into the synaptic gap. These neurotransmitters bind to receptors on other neurons, influencing various behaviors and reactions.”
What is the process of Neurotransmission
A sensory message is sent, and then action potential travels along the axon until it reaches the axon terminal of the presynaptic neuron. The axon terminal releases a neurotransmitter stored in a terminal vesicle into the synaptic gap. It travels across the synaptic gap and is received by the postsynaptic dendrite of the next neuron. Or it will be reuptake (absorbed back into the presynaptic axon terminal). Another electrical pulse is activated, and the process continues.
What is a neurotransmitter
chemicals that carry certain messages
What was the aim of the study
to determine the role of Acetylcholine in the formation of spatial memory
Example of A neurotransmitter
For Example, serotonin carries messages related to wellbeing. Serotonin affects human behavior in that the more of it the more awake and motivated, and happy you feel. And a lack of it you will feel more sluggish and unmotivated. Which is why people with depression have low serotonin.
Name of the study
Rogers and Kesner (2003)
What was the procedure
They had thirty rats get used to a particular maze,] The maze had arms that had food at the end of it.
Once they learned the maze they were randomly allocated to two groups one group the rats were injected in the hippocampus with scopolamine (which blocks the
Acetylcholine receptor sites)
The second group of rats were injected with saline solution (salt solution) which wouldn’t have an effect on them at all it was the controlled variable.
They put them in the maze and looked at there performance and memory of the maze.
what does scopolamine do?
The receptor site is where the message gets received, so if the scopolamine blocks
Acetylcholine it is blocking the memory of the rats
What were the results?
The findings found that the scopolamine group made more mistakes and took much longer to complete the maze
What did they conclude
This concluded that when
Acetylcholine is blocked it took longer to complete the maze meaning that this chemical unlocks memory.
How does this study relate to human behaviour?
This study demonstrates the role of neurotransmitters on behavior because it shows that when the acetylcholine receptors were blocked memory was blocked as seen when there was a higher difficulty in completing the maze and being able to recall memory. Therefore, showing that the neurotransmitter
Acetylcholine is associated with memory. Affecting the behavior of the rats and their ability to recall memory and perform to their best ability in the maze. Further relating to humans.
How can this be treated considering its an animal experiment?
The experiment is still valid they did a similar experiment in 2011 with humans replicating this study and found the similar results results.
