BRAINCAKENeurotransmitters
A neurotransmitter is a chemical released from a presynaptic neurone that diffuses across a synaptic cleft and binds to receptors on a postsynaptic cell, changing its membrane potential.
Examples include:
• Acetylcholine (ACh): used at neuromuscular junctions, in the parasympathetic nervous system and in parts of the brain. Synapses using ACh are cholinergic.
• Noradrenaline: used in the sympathetic nervous system and the brain. Synapses using it are adrenergic.
• Dopamine: used in the brain in movement, motivation and the reward pathway. A shortage in part of the brain causes Parkinson's disease.
• Serotonin: used in the brain in mood and sleep. Low levels are linked to depression.
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Key terms in this lesson
- exocytosis
- The process by which a cell releases a substance to the outside by fusing a vesicle with the cell surface membrane.
More in Mammalian Nervous System
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- Synapses
- Pre-synaptic Membrane
- Post-Synaptic Membrane
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All 38 lessons in Mammalian Nervous System · All Edexcel A-level Biology topics