Essays on Neurotransmitters

1. Biot’s respiration named after Camille Biot is an abnormal ataxic breathing pattern, where rapid series of shallow respiration are followed by a period of apnea. In order to known how AMP kinase, knock down leads to Biot respiration in mice; it is necessary to known how AMP kinase affects respiratory rate. AMP kinase is a metabolic sensor and is activated in response to stretching of the lung alveolar cells and other stressors. During respiration, the lung goes through cycles of expansion and contraction (Budinger et al., 2008). When the alveolar cells stretch during expansion, the 5′ AMP-activated ...

Cycle of communication within and between neurons

The understanding of the communication process between and within neurons or the nerve cells helps us to gain knowledge of the functioning of the human brain. Neurons gather information relating to an organism’s internal state as well as the external environment continuously and perform an evaluation of this information and the coordination of appropriate activities depending on the situation and person’s needs. Communication between and within neurons occur through the transmission of nerve impulses, which in essence are coded signals produced by certain stimulus along the neuronal membrane. Communication within neurons occurs through a chemical process whereby ...

The media has been helpful in promotion, enhancement and the advancement of scientific breakthroughs. An excellent media profiling and reporting can have a considerable impact on the popularity and the recognition of scientific research and findings. Science tends to be a separate and detached sphere, and the media serves as an intermediary of the seemingly distant scientific domain and the society. The media serve the society in becoming more knowledgeable about scientific works and increasing scientific literacy. Specifically, the media were supportive in describing the studies and findings in the field of biopsychology. Generally, the media tend to support ...

INTRODUCTION

There are so many different diseases, disorders, ailments and syndromes that can affect human beings in ways that can impact the quantity or quality of life of those who suffer from them. Biological Psychology is a specific discipline that focuses upon the behaviors of human beings and other animals based on the study of their physiology, genetics and mechanisms of development. One of the many different afflictions that Biological Psychologists are interested in is Tourette Syndrome, also called Tourette Disorder, Gilles de la Tourette Syndrome or simply TS or GTS; it was first discovered by Georges Albest Edouard Brutus ...

Media Consumption and Materialism/Consumerism

Globally, consumption and materialism have become a fundamental component of the prevailing culture. Humans consume a myriad of products and resources that extend beyond their basic necessities to include technological innovations and luxuries aimed at improving efficiency and quality of life. Throughout history, consumption beyond basic needs has served as a method of boosting human happiness. Hence, excessive consumption does not necessarily pose harm to human life (Shah). Increasingly, however, important issues regarding media consumption and materialism have emerged in recent decades. As such, this study examines the neuroscience of human emotions, the use of recreational substances, and the ...

Childhood depression is an emotional and mental disorder that in some ways is little different than adult depression. Still, symptoms of depression in children can present in very different ways than they do in adults. In part, this is a result of the very different developmental and social forces confronting children and young teens. Such forces can include shifting levels of hormones, changing bodies and peer pressure. Depression has frequently been associated in the literature with higher levels of anxiety and stress in children, as well as higher incidence of suicide. Following will examine the question of childhood depression, ...

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Overview

Based on a 2005 survey that was published in the Archives of General Psychiatry, 2.6 percent of the adult population has a bipolar disorder (National Institutes of Health, n.d.). Among these people, 82.9 percent have severe cases of the said condition. Bipolar disorder, also known as manic-depressive disorder, is a serious condition which affects patients’ day to day lives. The National Institutes of Health (n.d.) describes this condition as a “dramatic shifts in mood, energy, and activity levels.” In the popular culture, this disorder have been presented in many American films. For instance, in the year 2012, ...

Karen appears to have a very positive attitude about her future. She seems to have realized that the end of her relationship wasn’t about her but was about the lack of commitment on her partner’s part. Karen’s strengths lie in the fact that she is positive about her future and that she is making plans for that future. She has an optimistic outlook on her dating future and is committing herself to a gym membership. This indicates that she is moving in a forward direction. Karen could be afraid of the stigma that can be attached ...

Candace Pert offers astonishing and conclusiveresponses to puzzling questions that scientists and theorists have contemplated for centuries. In her book Molecules of Emotion, she explains in details how emotions, though not physically observable in a laboratory, form an integral part of the cell ant the entire system. This paper answers the enquiry of whether there is a spirit and emotions to a cell. It explains how the connection between the molecules and the cells and how they affect the body as a whole. Emotions are the key to understanding psychoimmunology emerging picture of how body and mind affect each ...

Introduction

Alzheimer’s disease is a known common cause of loss of mental function that is broadly known as dementia. It is a disease that gradually proceeds in stages that destroy memory, reason, judgment, abstract thinking, and the ability to perform simple tasks. Dementia is a group of symptoms that are often characterized by a decline in intellectual functioning that may interfere with the daily activities and the social interactions of a person. Statistics indicate that Alzheimer’s disease was the underlying cause of more than 83,000 deaths in 2010 and thus identified as the sixth leading cause of ...

Abstract

Continuous exposure to a wide spectrum of natural light has constructive impacts to not only one’s health but also their moods. The production of hormones such as serotonin and melatonin based on the intensity of light has a large impact on the distribution of an individual’s emotions. This study seeks to validate the role of sunlight in the distribution of a person’s mood and whether a lack thereof has a negative impact on their emotional balance. The paper utilizes similar researches conducted on this issue to establish an argument about the constructive impacts of sunlight on ...

A neuron is a specialized type of cell that helps in impulse conduction in the body. It is a basic unit of communication in the body. It receives and initiates the information reception and transmission to all parts of the body. The structure of the neuron is made of several parts that include dendrites, Soma (cell body), nucleus, cell membrane, axon, myelin sheath, a node of Ranvier and terminal Buttons or axon terminal (Marieb, 2004). The figure below shows the structure of the neuron. Figure 1: structure of neuron (Shonkoff & Phillips, 2010). For neural impulse to occur, the stimulus ...

During the last century, scientists involved in research and studies on drug abuse were governed by the powerful misconceptions and fabricated stories about the addictive nature of the drugs and the reason behind drug addiction. Proper scientific studies on drug addiction started in the 1930s when the research was done to learn the behavioral aspects of addiction. People who were addicted to drug usage were considered as immoral individuals and those who lack willpower. During that time, these viewpoints shaped the response of the society towards drug abuse, considering it as an immoral act rather than treating it as ...

Influence of Temperature and Neurotransmitters on Heart Rate in crayfish

TA for the Experiment: Introduction The cardiovascular system achieves key physiological functions in animals. Particularly, crayfish (Procambarus clarkia), also known as freshwater lobster, have been used to study physiological processes. This is because it is easier to study them in this species than in any other organism. In Crayfish, the circulatory system is open. Blood moves from the heart through the arteries and goes back through the open sinuses. Their heart is located in the cephalotorax, in front of the first abdominal segment, in the dorsal portion. Basic heart rate beat and rhythm in adult crustaceans depends on a ...

Depression is a mental medical condition that is characterized by a persistent and pervasive low mood, loss of enjoyment in normally pleasurable activities accompanied by a low self-esteem (Howell 2). Depression is a disabling medical condition that can affect negatively an individual’s work, family, eating habits, school life, the general health and social interactions. In the United States, for example, 3.3% of the total deaths are caused by suicide and other mood related disorders (Howell 2). An increase in the cases of deaths and other criminal activities due to depression in the US has caused a lot of ...

According to Stein, Kupfer, Schatzberg, and American Psychiatric Publishing (2006), mood disorders are a mental condition with features such as changes in the attitude of an individual which may include elevation or lowering of the mood. Depression and bipolar mood disorders are the common types of mood disorders. Others include cyclothymia and seasonal affective disorder. Depression is a condition in which an individual has low mood; the person does not enjoy things that qualified as interesting before the onset of the condition and has low self -esteem with the feeling of unworthiness. Bipolar, on the other hand, is a ...