PSYCH101 Lecture 16: PSYCH 101 – Neurons – 8th February

• School: University of Waterloo
• Department: Psychology
• Course: PSYCH101
• Professor: Paul Wehr

Document Summary

Chemical messengers: neurotransmitters: within the nervous system. Amino acids: agonist: increases activity, antagonist: decreases activity. Endorphins: primarily in the brain: hormones: secreted by glands and travel through blood stream. These chemical messengers are the same throughout the body but only in the brain are called nts. Agonist is any substance that increases the activity of the neurotransmitter, may not increase brain activity because it may be inhibitory nt. Endorphins are neuropeptides not neurotransmitters, they have indirect effects. Hormones may be the same but secreted not in the brain (the glands) The synapse is consisted of three things: the button, the synaptic cleft and the receptors on the post. If they do not get reuptaken then they can active in other places so to avoid this we have proteins that break it down. Nicotine is agonistic: alzhei(cid:373)e(cid:396)"s: p(cid:396)og(cid:396)essi(cid:448)e de(cid:272)li(cid:374)e i(cid:374) (cid:272)og(cid:374)iti(cid:448)e fu(cid:374)(cid:272)tio(cid:374)i(cid:374)g. Curare blocks the ach, blocks and freezes muscles.