Neurochemistry!
Acetylcholine MADE FROM:
Dietary choline
Acetylcholine MECHANISM:
Excitatory & Inhibitory
Acetylcholine LOCATION:
Autonomic Nervous System
Motor Neurons CNS
Acetylcholine FUNCTION:
Visceral function
Movement
Memory
Acetylcholine DISORDER:
Myasthenia gravis
Alzheimer’s Disease (too little ACh) –> Plaques & Tangles!
Beta-amyloid Plaques
Neurofibrillary Tangles
Glutamate MADE FROM:
Amino Acid
Glutamate MECHANISM:
Excitatory
Glutamate LOCATION:
Most abundant Neurotransmitter in the BRAIN
Glutamate FUNCTION:
Increases Action Potential Firing
Causes EPSPs
Glutamate DISORDER:
Epilepsy (too much)
ALS/Lou Gehrig’s (too much) –> Motor neurons preferentially die!
GABA MADE FROM:
Glutamate
GABA MECHANISM:
Inhibitory
GABA LOCATION:
CNS
GABA FUNCTION:
Decreases Action Potential Firing
Causes ISPSs
Dopamine MADE FROM:
Dietary Tyrosine
Dopamine MECHANISM:
Modulatory
Dopamine LOCATION:
Substantia nigra Synthesis
Dopamine FUNCTION:
Reward
Addiction
Dopamine DISORDER:
Parkinson’s (too little)
Schizophrenia (too much)
Norepinephrine MADE FROM:
Dopamine
Norepinephrine MECHANISM:
Modulatory
Norepinephrine LOCATION:
Brainstem Synthesis
Norepinephrine FUNCTION:
Attention
Inhibit Sleep
Mood
Norepinephrine DISORDER:
Parkinson’s (too little)
Mania (too much)
Epinephrine MADE FROM:
Norepinephrine
Epinephrine MECHANISM:
Modulatory
Epinephrine LOCATION:
Sympathetic Nervous System (“fight or flight”)
Serotonin MADE FROM:
Dietary Tryptophan
Serotonin MECHANISM:
Modulatory
Serotonin LOCATION:
Brainstem Synthesis
Serotonin FUNCTION:
Promotes Sleep (increased)
Inhibits Pain (increased)
Mood (depression with decreased)
Serotonin DISRODER:
Depression (too little)
Substance P MADE FROM:
Amino Acids
Substance P MECHANISM:
Modulatory
Substance P LOCATION:
Spinal Cord
Substance P FUNCTION:
Pain from the Periphery!
Endorphins MADE FROM:
Amino Acids
Endorphins MECHANISM:
Modulatory
Endorphins LOCATION:
CNS
Endorphins FUNCTIONS:
Inhibits Pain
Endocannabinoids MADE FROM:
Lipids
Endocannabinoids MECHANISM:
Modulatory
Endocannabinoids LOCATION:
CNS
Endocannabinoids FUNCTION:
Promotes Feeding (“the munchies”)