A chemical substance that transmits nerve impulses between neurons across a synapse.
A chemical (e.g., acetylcholine, gaba [gammaaminobutyric acid], dopamine, norepinephrine, serotonin) found in the nervous system that facilitates the transmission of impulses across synapses between neurons. Disorders in the brain physiology of neurotransmitters have helped us to understand the actions of drugs used to treat several psychiatric illnesses, particularly mood disorders and schizophrenia.
A group of brain chemicals that act as a catalyst for all kinds of mental and physical tasks.
Chemical involved in sending message across nerve synapse.
Chemical messengers with which neurons communicate with target cells of either other neurons or effect or organs.
Endogenous chemicals that transmit messages between nerve cells in the brain and nerves cells and organs in the body. How molecules in the plant and molecules in the brain talk to each other (interact) is key to understanding how plants and drugs affect brain function. There are around 100 brain neurotransmitter signals that link cells together and in this book we focus on the key signals involved in different brain functions. Depending on where in the brain these signals are, their function can vary. We have given them user-friendly names like mood-boosting (serotonin/5HT and dopamine), calm (promoting the brain’s inhibitory GABA or blocking the stimulatory glutamate), pain (opioid, dopamine, cannabinoid), memory and attention (acetylcholine, glutamate), sleep (adenosine, melatonin, GABA and glutamate), and pleasure or reward (cannabinoid, opioid, dopamine). One or more of these signals may be altered by drugs or a plant chemical.
Signal compounds in synapses of neurones (nerve cells) that help to convert an electric signal into a chemical response; important neurotransmitters are acetylcholine, noradrenaline, adrenaline, dopamine, serotonin, histamine, glycine, GABA, glutamate, endorphins and several other peptides.
Chemicals in the brain and other nervous system tissues that aid in the transmission of nerve impulses. Various neurotransmitters are responsible for different functions such as controlling mood and muscle movement and inhibiting or causing the sensation of pain.
Substance produced and released by one neuron that travels across a synapse, exciting or inhibiting the next neuron in the neural pathway.
A chemical released by the terminal end fibers of an axon.
A chemical substance in the axon of a nerve that carries an impulse to the dendrites of another nerve cell.
A chemical substance which transmits nerve impulses from one neurone to another.
A chemical released from a nerve cell carrying a message to another cell or another part of the body. Neurotransmitters can affect physical movements as well as mental functions and moods.
A chemical signal for nerve action. Serotonin, epinephrine, and acetylcholine, for example, are neurotransmitters.
Chemicals that transmit nerve messages across the brain’s synapses.
Chemical that affects or modifies the transmission of an impulse across a synapse between nerves or between a nerve and a muscle. Important neurotransmitters are acetylcholine, dopamine, gamma-aminobutyric acid, serotonin, and norepinephrine.
Any one of numerous chemicals that modify or result in the transmission of nerve impulses between synapses.
A nerve-signaling chemical in the brain. There are more than 50 different neurotransmitters. Their function is to carry nerve impulses across synapses (small gaps) between nerve cells (neurons). Neurotransmitters can either stimulate or inhibit electrical impulses. Examples of neurotransmitters include acetylcholine, dopamine, norepinephrine, and serotonin.
A chemical substance released from nerve endings to transmit impulses across synapses to other nerves and across the minute gaps between the nerves and the muscles or glands that they supply. Outside the central nervous system the chief neurotransmitter is acetylcholine; ‘norepinephrine is released by nerve endings of the sympathetic system. In the central nervous system, besides acetylcholine and norepinephrine, dopamine, serotonin, gamma-aminobutyric acid, and several other substances are thought to act as transmitters.
A chemical substance which transmits the action of a nerve to a cell. It is released from nerve-endings and transmits the impulse across synapses to other nerves. In the central nervous system the substances acting as neurotransmitters include acetylcholine, noradrenaline, dopamine and serotonin. The main transmitter in the peripheral system is acetylcholine, while for the sympathetic system it is noradrenaline. In recent years a new group of neurotransmitters called neuropeptides has been identified, comprising large protein molecules. One of the best-known is that of endorphins, which the brain uses to control pain.
A chemical (e.g., acetylcholine, dopamine, norepinephrine, or serotonin) that is released when the axon of a presynaptic neuron is excited and acts by inhibiting or exciting a target cell. Disorders of neurotransmitters have been implicated in a variety of neurological and psychiatric illnesses.
Until recently, horomones were defined as substances which deliver their message to glands and neurotransmitters to nerves, but definitions are evolving. Neurotransmitters are now classified as brain hormones.
A chemical that carries messages between nerve cells of the brain and nervous system.
Chemicals that act as messengers between nerve cells.
Chemical messengers produced in the brain that transmit signals to other cells.
A chemical messenger that travels across the synaptic junction and affects neuronal impulses.
Chemicals such as norepinephrine, serotonin, and acetylcholine that travel across the synapse and communicate impulses.
The intrinsic molecules that convey information from a nerve cell to a specific recipient cell through a synaptic cleft.
The cerebral neurotransmitters that are in charge of conveying specialized signals between neurons are a crucial element in brain function. Some instances of these crucial chemical messengers comprise adenosine, endorphins, serotonin, and dopamine.
Neurotransmitters are a collection of chemical substances released by neurons to transmit chemical messages to other nerve cells. They play a crucial role in transmitting nerve impulses. Examples of neurotransmitters include acetylcholine, dopamine, serotonin, and norepinephrine.
A chemical emitted from the end of a nerve fiber that conveys signals between neurons or from a neuron to a muscle cell.
When an electrical signal reaches the end of a nerve, neurotransmitters are discharged from storage sacs and traverse a small space (known as a synapse) to communicate with the receiving cell. At this point, they prompt gateways in the recipient cell to open, allowing charged particles to initiate a new signal. Conversely, some neurotransmitters can suppress these signals.
Numerous chemicals serve this role in various sections of the nervous system. Many of these neurotransmitters also act as hormones, entering the bloodstream to influence far-off cells.
Acetylcholine is a crucial neurotransmitter responsible for triggering skeletal muscle contractions when released by neurons connected to these muscles. Additionally, it’s released by neurons regulating sweat glands, heartbeat, and transmitting messages between brain neurons and those in the spinal cord. Myasthenia gravis results from disruptions in acetylcholine’s action on skeletal muscles. Moreover, a decrease in nerve cells releasing acetylcholine in the brain might contribute to Alzheimer’s disease.
Noradrenaline, also known as norepinephrine, assists in regulating the heartbeat, blood circulation, and the body’s reaction to stress. It is produced both by the adrenal glands and by neurons.
Dopamine, a neurotransmitter, is crucial for brain areas that regulate movement. Dysfunction in neurons sensitive to dopamine is believed to be a factor in Parkinson’s disease.
Serotonin is a primary neurotransmitter in the brain regions associated with conscious awareness.
Another class of neurotransmitters is neuropeptides. Among them are endorphins, which the brain utilizes to regulate pain sensitivity.