Neuron

The neurotransmitter that I chose to research is serotonin. It is created by a biochemical conversion process that combines tryptophan, a part of proteins, with tryptophan hydroxylase, a chemical reactor. Together, they form 5-hydroxyltryptamine (5-HT). Serotonin is manufactured in the brain and the intestines. The majority of the body's serotonin, between 80% to 90%, can be found in the gastrointestinal (GI) tract. It can also be found in the blood platelets and the central nervous system.…

It is an important and interesting question on how feelings and emotions emerge inside our human bodies. It is a known and general fact that emotions come from the brain, yet it is also evident that specific areas of brain are responsible for productions of feelings. In order to better understand the production mechanism, it is vital to get deeper into the brain’s emotional map and examine particular areas. One of these specialized areas of central interest is the amygdala that is responsible…

1. Connect the concepts presented in the video to course concepts. After watching the video episode of The Secret Life of the Brain, the course concept that comes to mind are the Frontal lobe (Prefrontal cortex) of the brain and the amygdala. First, when watching the video episode, the episode discussed how the frontal lobe entitles how the brain helps humans to engage with each other and our environment. However, the frontal lobe becomes a contributing factor of how the psychological disorder…

Myasthenia Gravis Background Myasthenia gravis is a Type II autoimmune disorder in which antibodies form against various types of receptors, kinases, or proteins (1). There are four subtypes of myasthenia gravis, with the most prevalent subtype being due to autoantibodies against the muscle-type acetylcholine receptor, AChR, at the neuromuscular junction (2; 3). The second subtype involves antibodies against the muscle-specific kinase, MuSK, and the third type is due to autoantibodies against…

Guillain-Barre Syndrome is a disorder that affects the peripheral nervous system. It is an autoimmune disease that forms antibodies against peripheral nerves. There is no definite etiology for GBS. This disease shows different symptoms depending on the type of GBS and its severity. Treatments are available for people who have this disease, but as of now, there is no cure (Biomarkers). An exact cause of GBS has not been found, but its symptoms have been noted to follow a pattern. In most cases,…

Adrenoleukodystrophy also known as ALD is a genetic disease. This is a brain disorder where the myelin in the brain gets destroyed and one will have an unusual amount of saturated fatty acids. When the myelin gets destroyed the neurons in the brain start to stop telling the central nervous system what to do. At first a person will show behavior changes but as the disease progresses the symptoms become worse; causing people to become blind, deaf, experience weight loss, have seizures, and even…

Sclerosis (ALS) is a neurodegenerative disease also known as Lou Gehrig’s disease. Relatively rare, between 1.5 and 2.5 people are affected out of a population of 100,000 annually [2].This disease is caused by a continuous deterioration of motor neurons that are located in the brain, brain stem, and spinal chord. This disenables signals from the brain to communicate with the muscles, disabling the extremities to function, or paralyzing them [1]. Symptoms include but are not limited to muscle…

Desoxyn (Methamphitamine ) Classification: CNS Stimulant/Anorexiant/ Sympathomimetic MW: 149.237 g/mol pKa: 9.87 (at 25 °C) Chemical Formula: C10H15N IUPAC Name: (2S)-N-methyl-1-phenylpropan-2-amine Description Methamphetamine comes under category of amphetamine type stimulants. Methamphetamine is an Amphetamine Anorectic and Central Nervous System Stimulant. Other than clinical usage as an oral form or Intravenous form, methamphetamine has been highly abused as street drugs by…

drawing a triangle on a poster board. On the bottom left corner he writes the word “mind,” on the bottom right corner he writes the word “brain,” and on the top of the triangle he writes “relationships.” He explains that the brain is a collection of neurons that are connected to each other through synapses creating a spider web formation. Electrical energies flow down the axon and turn into chemical energy. These electrical and chemical processes are how the brain functions. Siegel explains…

in the environmental and internal complex processes of our body. In order for the input and output mechanisms to go smoothly, these highly specialized cells, called neurons, must communicate not only with one another, but also with other muscles, and organs in an effective way throughout the body using electrical synapses. While neurons are made up off a cell body referred to as the soma, dendrites, and axon. Nerves consist of axons and sometimes nerve fibers, and each of those axons has the…