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General Question about Neurotransmitters

Zoob

13

Why are there so many different types of neurotransmitters and neuromodulators in the brain? :biggrin:

Reply 1

Jenski

9

Some are excitatory and some are inhibitory. Doesn't rrrrreally answer your question :frown:

sorry!

Reply 2

j00ni

9

there is the inhibitory/excitatory thing, but also so that release of a particular transmitter will have a more specific effect (similarly with hormones) on targets

Reply 3

silo

each transmitter can either be is connected (or aligned) to a receptor, which may also be connected to an intermediate neurone. these are then connected to either more neurones or effectors. now consider the amount of gray matter in your brain and how many neurones, etc there are, each for different purposes eg receptors in the eyes, osmoreceptors ect. each of these that performs a different function ie has a different stimulus, is composed of different biochemical parts. ergo, requires a different transmitter to bind to its receptor.
also there is the fact that some receptors are on the plasma membrane and some are in the cytoplasm or cytosol. these obviously need different compositions ie lipid soluble=receptor inside cell.

Reply 4

WokSz

17

I'm sorry, but what exactly is a neurotransmitter?

Reply 5

Helenia

20

WokSz

I'm sorry, but what exactly is a neurotransmitter?

A neurotransmitter is a small molecule that is released from one nerve terminal when that nerve is stimulated, and diffuses and binds to a receptor on another neurone (or the same one, but that's another story!), where it initiates another signal. This might be through opening ion channels and causing the post-synaptic membrane to depolarise/hyperpolarise, or it might have slower intracellular effects.

There are loads of different ones, such as ACh, GABA, Glutamate, ATP, NPY...as for why there are so many different ones, I'm not sure there is an entirely satisfactory answer for that!

Reply 6

WokSz

17

Helenia

A neurotransmitter is a small molecule that is released from one nerve terminal when that nerve is stimulated, and diffuses and binds to a receptor on another neurone (or the same one, but that's another story!), where it initiates another signal. This might be through opening ion channels and causing the post-synaptic membrane to depolarise/hyperpolarise, or it might have slower intracellular effects.

There are loads of different ones, such as ACh, GABA, Glutamate, ATP, NPY...as for why there are so many different ones, I'm not sure there is an entirely satisfactory answer for that!

great! Thank you! :smile:

Reply 7

nikk

15

As well as the functional reasons given, it is also just a quirk of evolution. There are many examples where things are overly complicated, and might seem illogical, but that is "just the way it is". We were not designed on a drawing board, simply the co-adaptation of existing structures for improved or new functions....and this sometimes manifests itself as seemingly strange solutions to particular problems. But as for neurotransmitters in particular, yes there are many functional reasons as to why so many different neurotransmitters are required. /ramble

Reply 8

Zoob

OP

13

What is an neuromodulator..i cant really find a decent defintion.. :-S

Reply 9

crazy_hamster

ZooBOT

What is an neuromodulator..i cant really find a decent defintion.. :-S

Well, neuromodulation is the 'proposed mode of action of some chemical transmitters in the brain, which affect the activity of a neuronal pathwayby influencing the efficiency of synaptic transmission' (biology dictionary)

Reply 10

danni_bella

17

Helenia

A neurotransmitter is a small molecule that is released from one nerve terminal when that nerve is stimulated, and diffuses and binds to a receptor on another neurone (or the same one, but that's another story!), where it initiates another signal. This might be through opening ion channels and causing the post-synaptic membrane to depolarise/hyperpolarise, or it might have slower intracellular effects.

There are loads of different ones, such as ACh, GABA, Glutamate, ATP, NPY...as for why there are so many different ones, I'm not sure there is an entirely satisfactory answer for that!

I knew one of them, yay! :p:

Ok that is sad, this is a good reflection of how much study I've been doing lately, ie. not much! Oookay, this evening it's TIME to hit the books Danni! :biggrin:

EDIT: It was ACh :smile:

General Question about Neurotransmitters

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