NEUROTRANSMITTERS
LEARNING OBJECTIVES:
By the end of this lecture, the students should know:
Classification of Neurotransmitters
NEUROTRANSMITTERS
Neurotransmitters are the
chemicals responsible for signal transmission
between the individual neurons
Most neurons make two or more
neurotransmitters, which are released
at different stimulation frequencies
50 or more neurotransmitters
have been identified
Classified by chemical structure
and by function
NEUROTRANSMITTER:
epinephrine
Indolamines
Serotonin and histamine (5-Hydroxytryptamine or 5-HT)
3. Amino Acids
Glutamate
4. Neuropeptides
Substance P
Adenosine
ATP
Carbonmonooxide (CO)
Cannabinoids
FUNCTIONAL CLASSIFICATION OF
NEUROTRANSMITTERS:
1. Excitatory Neurotransmitter
2. Inhibitory Neurotransmitter
ACETYLCHOLINE (ACH)
Acetylcholine (Ach) was the first neurotransmitter to be
identified
It is the most abundant neurotransmitter in the brain
Released at neuromuscular junctions and some ANS neurons
Synthesized by enzyme choline acetyltransferase
Degraded by the enzyme acetylcholinesterase (AChE)
CATECHOLAMINES
Catecholamines-Dopamine, norepinephrine (NE), and epinephrine
are synthesized from Tyrosine
Is involved in reward-pleasure and learning
Dopamine is the principle neurotransmitter involved in Addiction
pathway
SEROTONIN
GABA
GABAGamma ()-aminobutyric acid is the
NEUROTRANSMITTER ACTIONS
Direct action
Neurotransmitter binds to channel-linked receptor and opens ion
channels
Promotes rapid responses
Examples: ACh and amino acids
Indirect action
Neurotransmitter binds to a G protein-linked receptor and acts
through an intracellular second messenger
Promotes long-lasting effects
Examples: biogenic amines, neuropeptides, and dissolved gases
NEUROTRANSMITTER RECEPTORS
Types
1. Channel-linked receptors
2. G protein-linked receptors