Neurotransmitters: Serotonin, Dopamine, and Glutamate - Essay Example

"Neurotransmitters: Serotonin, Dopamine, and Glutamate" is a marvelous example of a paper on neurology.
A neurotransmitter is a chemical substance that is usually produced after a nerve impulse arrives at a nerve fiber ends. The nerve impulse diffuses across the junction enabling the transfer of impulse to another nerve fiber. In a simple layman's language, neurotransmitters are chemical messengers. They send information between neurons; electrical signals are changed into chemical signals and enabled to cross the gap (Johnston, 1995). Neurotransmitters are of different types; each type has a specific role or role in the human brain. Examples of such neurotransmitters, such as serotonin, are discussed with a long look into their functions in the body.

One such great neurotransmitter is serotonin; Serotonin is a chemical that is of great importance and many functions in the human body. It is sometimes referred to as the happy chemical as it stirs up emotions of happiness and joy in a person. Serotonin is a neurotransmitter that helps regulate mood, social behavior, appetite, sleep, among many others. It is suitable for treating depression as it helps the patient escape the pit of darkness they experience when they face depression. The selective serotonin reuptake treats depression by increasing the levels of serotonin in the brain. Serotonin is a happy neurotransmitter, helps the patient cope with their emotional al imbalance, a common phenomenon of depression (Hoehn-Saric, 1982).

Dopamine is a type of neurotransmitter that is among the chemicals responsible for the signal transmission between nerve cells in the human brain. Dopamine is a feel-good hormone; it runs the rewarding part of the brain. When a person gets something they were craving for, the dopamine levels go up, and the person experiences joy or satisfaction. Adrenaline is another neurotransmitter that helps neurons communicates with each other within the brain. It is produced by the adrenal glands and is responsible for responding to emergencies (Fields et al., 1991). When a person feels unsafe, threatened, or in danger, the adrenaline hormone immediately assumes a course of action. It causes an increase in heart rate, blood pressure, air pathways to the lungs, among many other adjustments, in a bid to prepare the body to take flight or defend itself.

Another neurotransmitter is glutamate. Glutamate is a potent neurotransmitter that is released to the brain by nerve cells. Its primary function is to send signals between nerve cells. For this reason, glutamate is very instrumental in the learning and sustenance of good memory. When the brain has glutamate in excess amounts, there is likely to emerge complications like hyperalgesia, which amplifies pain. One can also develop anxiety and restlessness should they have excessively high levels of glutamate. The other extreme is still a problem in that when the glutamate levels are too low, other complications still show. The extreme cases of low glutamate can result in psychosis, coma, and even death caused by seizures that could destroy cells in the brain. Glutamate being a pivotal transmitter in the brain is a crucial link when it comes to learning and other acquired skills. Too little glutamate can cause insomnia, concentration problems, being exhausted mentally, and overall, allow energy.

The left side of the brain is responsible for the control of the left side of the body. It is also instrumental when it comes to academics and overall logical comprehension. The lady recovering from a stroke was injured on the left hemisphere of the brain. This is the reason why comprehending what is being spoken is proving difficult. The frontal lobe of the brain is the dominant language hemisphere of the brain. If a patient is having trouble making sense when speaking, the frontal lobe hemisphere may have been injured.

The cerebral hemispheres are what the vertebrate cerebrum is comprised of; Cerebral hemispheres are two in number and are they divided by a groove known as the longitudinal fissure. The brain consists of two hemispheres, the left and right hemispheres divided by the longitudinal fissure. The hemisphere plays different roles in the mind. One of its functions is muscle control. It also controls speech, thoughts, academics, reading and writing, and emotions. If the cerebral hemisphere is damaged, it could result in poor communication; the person may have trouble understanding basic language, struggle to interpret what is being said. It may also their speech, the words they speak are not understandable, and they do not make sense if they talk. The overall brain is a delicate organ that coordinates the entire human body; it needs to stay healthy and well taken care of by the owner.

The hemispheres are divided into five lobes; four of the five have the same name on both the left and right hemispheres. They are namely the frontal lobe, the parietal lobe, the occipital lobe, and the temporal lobe. The fifth lobe is known as the insula or the island of real. All these lobes work together to coordinate and translate information in the brain, which is what the human body needs to function, learn, and adapt accordingly.