Neurotransmitters  Neurotransmitters sit in the terminal branch while waiting for Action Potential  Once Action Potential occurs, the vesicles open and release neurotransmitters into the synapse.

Acetylcholine (ACh)  Response for muscle contraction, learning & memory  Too much leads to severe muscle spasms & paralysis  Black Widow spider venom  Depletion of ACh leads to deterioration of memory, reasoning, language  A lzheimer’s Disease A lzheimer’s Disease

Dopamine  Involved in pleasurable & rewarding sensations  Excessive dopamine receptor activity is linked to schizophrenia  Loss of dopamine leads to Parkinson’s disease  difficulty starting & stopping voluntary movements  tremors at rest, stooped posture, rigidity, poor balance

Serotonin  Sleep, moods, and emotional states  Too much: headache or confused.  Undersupply leads to depression  Prozac works by keeping serotonin in the synapse longer

Norepinephrine  Helps control alertness and arousal  “Fight or flight” response “Fight or flight” response  When the body gears up to face a danger or threat (adrenaline is released by adrenal glands…tops of kidneys)  Too much: anxiety or panic attack  Undersupply can cause depressed mood

Endorphins  Controls pain and pleasure  Released in response to stress and trauma  Reduces the perception of pain  Acupuncture, Runner’s High  Morphine, Heroin, Codeine  Alleviates pain & creates a sense of euphoria

GABA  Used as an inhibitory neurotransmitter, blocks nerve impulses  Without it, nerve cells would fire too often  Anti-anxiety medications  Valium/Xanax  Undersupply can produce seizures, tremors & insomnia, possibly Parkinson’s syndrome  Loss of GABA  Huntington’s disease  Jerky involuntary movements  Mental deterioration

Glutamate  Excitatory neurotransmitter  Amino acid that helps neurons communicate, learn, make memories  Oversupply produces migraines and seizures, eventually kills neurons  Undersupply are suspected to lead to depression  Caffeine inhibits the release of GABA, so too much coffee is the sensation of glutamate without enough GABA

 4. Sarah is feeling sad all the time and seeks the help of a psychiatrist. The psychiatrist concludes that Sarah is suffering from clinical depression due to a lack of ____________________ in her brain. To help her cope with the symptoms, she is prescribed Prozac.   a. endorphinsb. glutamatec. dopamine d. serotonin   5. Tony has just completed a full marathon (26.2 miles). His muscles are throbbing and he is exhausted, but he has an overwhelming feeling of euphoria. Tony is feeling the release of __________________ in his brain.   a. acetylcholineb. dopaminec. GABAd. endorphins   6. Schizophrenia has been associated with having an excessive amount of ________________ in your brain.   a. serotoninb. dopaminec. norepinephrined. endorphins