Neurotransmitters

Each and every thought consists of thousands of blasts of energy or electrical impulses. Brain cells have billions of interconnecting paths. Each of these paths comes to an end near another brain cell. The gap between these segments are synapses. Neurotransmitters rest inside and outside the brain cells, and when action calls we create more or deplete these neurotransmitters. Many of our basic and complex actions or responses are based off of the primitive minds that existed long before we did.

There are many different types of neurotransmitters. Although we are not fully aware of mind function, (if we were the world would either be perfect or we would destroy ourselves) we are aware of some of the basic functions of the different neurotransmitters and their associated pathways. We will briefly cover the functions of various neurotransmitters in the following paragraphs.

Serotonin: this is the neurotransmitter most closely associated with depression. Serotonin controls our mood, hunger, thirst, appetite and many of our basic regulated responses. This neurotransmitter will also be covered in the anti depressant section.

Acetylcholine: is the neurotransmitter which is closely associated with memory. Serotonin actually also works in tandem with this neurotransmitter. If you deplete either you will still be able to learn and think, but if you deplete both it is hard to think critically.

Norepinephrine: nearly identical in structure to epinephrine, norepinephrine is also a fight of flight neurotransmitter. Norepinephrine is an activated chemical which is activated by coffee, amphetamines, or stress. Its pathways generally parallel the serotonin system. In readying the body and mind for fight or flight response Norepinephrine

• increases heart rate
• increases blood pressure
• increases glycogenolysis (the conversion of glycogen to glucose) in the liver
• increased lipolysis (the conversion of fats to fatty acids; see fats and oils ) in adipose (fat)
• opens up air passages to the lungs by relaxing the bronchial smooth muscle

There are over 30 known neurotransmitters and the following neurotransmitters will be covered soon:

Epinephrine

GABA

Glutamate

Aspartate

Glycine

Histamine

Dopamine

Adenosine

Nitric oxide