Neurotransmitters
are chemical messengers that carry, boost, and balance signals between neurons
and target cells throughout the body.
Here is a list of some of
the most common neurotransmitters that work a lot to keep your body and brain
working in tandem.
What are the Different Types of Neurotransmitters and Their
Functions?
What is a Nervous System?
A nervous system is a
complex network of nerves and cells that coordinate the behavior of the
animal's body and transmit signals to and from the brain and spinal cord to
various parts of the body.
A nervous system is a
group of cells that specialize in producing and transmitting an electrochemical
stimulus, i.e. the nerve impulse, and it transmits this stimulus from sensory
receptors through a network of nerves to the site of the response.
All living things
have the ability to respond to the surrounding environment and any change that
occurs to it, and the nervous system is responsible for this response.
Structurally, the nervous
system consists of two main parts: The central nervous system (CNS), the
peripheral nervous system (PNS).
The central nervous system
is the part of the nervous system that is made up of the brain and spinal
cord.
The peripheral nervous
system is the division of the nervous system that is made up of nerves that
branch out from the spinal cord and extend to all parts of the body.
Nerves are the main
substrate in the nervous system, and they act as highways for information to
transmit signals between the brain, the spinal cord, and the rest of the body
through thin fibers called axons. These axons stimulate the secretion of
chemicals called neurotransmitters, and these transmitters bind to receptors
that stimulate the communication process between nerve cells.
What are Neurotransmitters?
Neurotransmitters are the
body's chemical messengers that transmit signals from nerve cells across the
synapse to target cells that may be in muscles, glands, or other nerves.
Neurotransmitters play a
vital role in the process of nerve communication and are considered as chemical
messengers. They transmit information between nerve cells and other body cells,
and this process is called neurotransmission.
Neurotransmitters affect
a wide range of important physical and psychological functions in the body.
They affect heart rate, sleep, mood, appetite, and even fear. Millions of
neurotransmitter molecules are constantly working to keep the brain functioning
normally, and for a nerve cell to control other cells and give them commands
they must be able to communicate.
And here comes the
role of neurotransmitters, and in most cases, the neurotransmitter is secreted
from axons in the nerve endings, and this is after the occurrence of the
so-called action potential on the nerve cell, and when the electrical signal
reaches the nerve end, it stimulates vesicles that store the neurotransmitter,
and then secrete it.
The neurotransmitter
travels through the synapse to bind to receptors on the neighboring cell, and
trigger changes in them. Depending on the type, the neurotransmitter can be
either stimulating or inhibiting.
Types of Neurotransmitters
and Their Functions
Experts have
identified more than 100 neurotransmitters to date, and there are several
different types of neurotransmitters that are classified based on their effects
on the body.
Neurotransmitters have
different types of actions; for example,
Excitatory neurotransmitters stimulate a target cell to generate
an action potential.
Inhibitory neurotransmitters decrease the likelihood that the
neuron will fire an action potential. In some cases, these neurotransmitters
have a relaxation-like effect.
Modulatory neurotransmitters (neuromodulators) are capable of
affecting a larger number of neurons at the same time and can influence the
effects of other chemical messengers.
Some neurotransmitters can
have many functions and effects on nerves, depending on the type of receptor
that they are connecting to.
Here is a list of some of
the most common neurotransmitters that do a lot to keep your body and mind
working in tandem:
Acetylcholine:
Acetylcholine is an
organic chemical that functions in the brain and body of many types of animals
as a neurotransmitter.
Acetylcholine is the chief
neurotransmitter of the parasympathetic nervous system that contracts smooth
muscles, controls the heart rate, dilates blood vessels, activates some
hormones, and increases bodily secretions and acetylcholine plays a vital role
in brain function and memory.
Dopamine:
Dopamine is a type of
neurotransmitter that plays a role in maintaining memory, motivation,
attention, learning, and even regulating body movements.
The brain secretes
dopamine during pleasant activities. Dopamine is also responsible for muscle
movement. And dopamine deficiency leads to Parkinson's disease. The body needs
amino acids to produce dopamine, and protein-rich foods contain these acids.
Endorphins:
Endorphins are among the
brain chemicals known as neurotransmitters produced naturally by the nervous
system and stored in the pituitary gland to relieve stress and pain.
Endorphins have many
positive effects on your body in terms of your health and well-being.
Endorphins act on the
opiate receptors in the brain, they inhibit pain signals, and contribute to a
state of feeling of energy and euphoria, and are considered to be the body's
natural sedative.
The lack of endorphins
plays a role in the incidence of fibromyalgia. Exercise is one of the
best ways to raise this substance in the body.
Exercise pumps up the
production of the brain's feel-good neurotransmitters, called endorphins.
Serotonin:
Serotonin is a monoamine
neurotransmitter found mostly in the digestive system, also found in blood
platelets and throughout the central nervous system.
It is estimated that 90%
of the body's serotonin is made in the digestive tract.
Serotonin is the key
hormone that stabilizes mood, appetite, blood clotting, and feelings of
well-being, and happiness.
This hormone enables brain
cells and other nervous system cells to communicate with each other.
Serotonin also helps with
sleeping, eating, and digestion and plays a role in patients with depression
and anxiety as well.
Epinephrine:
Epinephrine (also known as
adrenaline) is a neurotransmitter that serves as hormones and belongs to a
class of compounds known as catecholamines.
Epinephrine is one of the
hormones released into the body of someone feeling tension or fear and extreme
emotions.
As hormones, epinephrine (also
known as adrenaline) influences different parts of the body and stimulates the
central nervous system.
Epinephrine increases the
heart rate, respiratory rate, and gives the body's muscles a lot of energy, in
addition to that it helps the brain to make decisions quickly in case of
emergency.
Norepinephrine:
Norepinephrine (NE), also
known as noradrenaline (NAd), is both a hormone and an excitatory
neurotransmitter; a chemical messenger that transmits signals across nerve
endings in the body.
Norepinephrine is an
organic chemical produced in the inner part of the adrenal glands, also called
the adrenal medulla. Norepinephrine belongs to a class of compounds known
as catecholamines.
Norepinephrine increases
heart rate, blood pumping from the heart and helps break down fats, and
increases blood sugar levels to provide more energy to the body.
Norepinephrine's actions
are vital to a fight-or-flight response, as the body prepares to respond or
retreat from an acute threat.
Norepinephrine (NE) has
been linked to mood, arousal, alertness, memory, and stress.
Chemically, epinephrine
and norepinephrine are very similar. However, epinephrine acts on both alpha
and beta receptors, whereas norepinephrine only acts on the alpha receptors.
Gamma-Aminobutyric acid
(GABA):
Gamma-aminobutyric acid
(GABA) is a non-proteinogenic amino acid that works as a neurotransmitter in
the brain.
GABA is considered an
inhibitory neurotransmitter because it inhibits certain brain signals, reduces
neuronal excitability throughout the nervous system and prevents nerve cells
from becoming overactive.
This is why low levels of
GABA are often associated with anxiety and discomfort.
Glutamate:
Glutamate is the most
abundant neurotransmitter present in over 90% of all synapses. It is a
naturally occurring molecule that nerve cells use to send signals to other
cells in the central nervous system (CNS).
Glutamate is an excitatory
neurotransmitter that is involved in nearly every exciting brain function and
increases the likelihood that the neuron it acts upon will have an action
potential.
Glutamate plays an
important role in several clinically important pathways, including hippocampal,
cerebellar, and spinal cord pathways, cortical association fibers, corticofugal
pathways such as the pyramidal tract, etc.
Other Neurotransmitters:
Hormones like estrogen and
testosterone can also act as neurotransmitters. Neurochemicals such as oxytocin
and vasopressin are also classified as neurotransmitters.
Other neurotransmitter
types include enkephalin, galanin, dynorphin, corticotropin-releasing factor
(CRF) and neuropeptide Y.
As neuroscientists learn more about the complexity of neurotransmission, it is clear that the brain needs these different molecules in order to have a greater range of flexibility and function.