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IB PSYCHOLOGY VOCAB
Section: Neurotransmitters
Term | Definition |
---|---|
Acetylcholine | plays a role in memory, learning, attention, arousal and involuntary muscle movement. (Excitatory - low levels of acetylcholine may cause Alzheimer's disease) |
Norepinephrine | Plays an important role in your body's fight-or-flight response. As a medication, it is used to increase and maintain blood pressure in limited, short-term serious health situations. |
Dopamine | acts on areas of the brain to give you feelings of pleasure, satisfaction and motivation. It also has a role to play in controlling memory, mood, sleep, learning, concentration, movement and other body functions. |
Gamma-Aminobutyric Acid (GABA) | It slows down your brain by blocking specific signals in your central nervous system (your brain and spinal cord). GABA is known for producing a calming effect. (High = drowsiness ; Low = restlessness, depression, anxiety ) |
Glutamate | The most abundant excitatory neurotransmitter in your brain and central nervous system. It's needed to keep your brain functioning properly. Glutamate plays a major role in shaping learning and memory. |
Serotonin | carries messages between nerve cells in the brain and throughout your body. It plays a key role in such body functions as mood, sleep, digestion, nausea, wound healing, bone health, blood clotting and sexual desire. |
Neurotransmitter | The body's chemical messengers. They are the molecules used by the nervous system to transmit messages between neurons, or from neurons to muscles. |