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Sosie Marie T.

Calabroso BS Psychology- 3

Dopamine and Acetylcholine as a Compounds That Acts as Neurotransmitters and Hormones


The chemical messengers of the body are
known as neurotransmitters. They are the chemicals
that the nervous system uses to communicate between
neurons or between neurons and muscles. The first
neurotransmitter found was acetylcholine, a tiny
molecule. It is released by motor neurons and
autonomic nervous system neurons in the peripheral
nervous system, where it plays a vital role. It also aids
in the maintenance of cognitive function in the central
nervous system. Alzheimer's disease is linked to
Figure
damage to the 1 Acetycholine
CNS's cholinergic neurons. For their
discoveries on chemical neurotransmission, Sir Henry
Dale of London and Professor Otto Loewi of Graz won the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine in
1936. This paper makes extensive use of previously unpublished archival material to examine
Dale's work, from his discovery of naturally occurring acetylcholine in 1913 to evidence of its
function as a neurotransmitter in autonomic ganglia, post-
ganglionic parasympathetic nerve terminals, and the
neuromuscular junction. Acetylcholine is discovered early in
the development of the ectodermal system (neural plate), since
its activity is critical for neural cell differentiation. The
neurotransmitter has morphogen properties.
Acetylcholine is the primary neurotransmitter of the
parasympathetic nervous system, a branch of the autonomic
nervous system that contracts smooth muscles, dilates blood
vessels, promotes body secretions, and lowers the heart rate.
Because of its capacity to replicate the electrical stimulation of
the vagus nerve, the first neurotransmitter, acetylcholine, was
dubbed "vagus stuff" by Otto Loewi. Figure
It is2 currently
Acetylcholine as a
recognized to be a neurotransmitter in the
Neurotransmitter
Central Nervous System at all autonomic ganglia, several autonomically innervated organs, the
neuromuscular junction, and many synapses. The neurotransmitter acetylcholine (Ach) is found in
both the central and peripheral nervous systems. It's a non-monoamine subtype, which means it
doesn't have a carbon chain connecting an amino group to an aromatic ring (which is common to
the neurotransmitters of the noradrenergic, serotonergic, and dopaminergic systems). ACh is found
in both vertebrates and invertebrates, and together with adrenaline and noradrenaline (NA), it is
the main effector of the autonomic nervous system, which governs the internal organs and controls
visceral processes. ACh also influences cellular and synaptic physiology in the CNS, influencing
networks and causing behavioral changes such as sleep to alertness and distraction to focus. The
enzyme choline acetyltransferase produces acetylcholine in the nerve terminals of cholinergic
neurons (ChAT). ACh production is determined by the availability of both acetyl-CoA and choline.
Choline uptake transporter (ChT) transports dietary choline to cholinergic neurons, where it mixes
with acetyl molecules generated by glucose metabolism. It recombines with acetyl molecules in the
synaptic terminal, where it builds up. ACh is carried into synaptic vesicles at the ends of neurons,
where it is stored until it is released by the vesicular acetylcholine transporter (VAChT).
Hormones are substances
made by various glands throughout
your body. They circulate in the
bloodstream, acting as messengers
and contributing to a variety of
biological functions. In 1957,
pharmacologist Arvid Carlsson,
working at the Department of
Pharmacology at Sö lvegatan 10 in
Lund, identified dopamine as an
autonomous neurotransmitter in the
neurological system (the current
Geocentrum building). This finding
had a huge influence on current
neuroscience research, and it earned
him the Nobel Prize in Physiology and
Medicine in 2000, together with his
later work at the University of Figure 3 Pathways of Dopamine
Gö teborg. The amine 3-
hydroxytyramine ('dopamine') has previously been discovered as a step in the conversion of
tyrosine to noradrenaline and adrenaline. Arvid Carlson, Margit Lindqvist, Tor Magnusson, and
Bertil Waldeck published crucial findings in 1957 that led to the discovery of dopamine as a
transmitter in the central nervous system, apart from its role as a precursor in noradrenaline and
adrenaline production. One of the major events in the creation of contemporary neuroscience was
the identification of dopamine as a neurotransmitter in the brain. Dopaminergic neurotransmission
research has been immensely essential in defining our understanding of how the brain functions in
health and disease throughout the years. Dopamine has been discovered to have a key role in nearly
every aspect of behavior, including motor control, mood regulation, cognition, addiction, and
reward. Furthermore, dopamine research has been unusual in the neurosciences since it has
successfully combined fundamental science with clinical application. Dopamine's role in movement
disorders like Parkinson's disease and the parkinsonian side effects of anti-schizophrenic drugs, as
well as cognitive and motivational disorders like positive symptoms of schizophrenia, drug
addiction, and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), has kept it at the forefront of
psychopharmacological research since the 1970s.
References
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Receptor Signaling in Neuroprotection [Internet]. Springer; Singapore: Apr 04, 2018. pp. 1–15.
Carlsson, A. et al. (1957) 3,4-dihydroxyphenylalanine and 5-hydroxytryptophan as reserpine
antagonists. Nature 180, 1200.
Carlsson, A. et al. (1958) On the presence of 3-hydroxytyramine in brain. Science 127, 471.
Hornykiewicz, O. (2002) Dopamine miracle: from brain homogenate to dopamine replacement. Mov
Disord. 17, 501-508
Colangelo, C. et al. Cellular, Synaptic and Network Effects of Acetylcholine in the Neocortex. Front.
Neural Circuits. Doi: https://doi.org/10.3389/fncir.2019.00024.
https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fncir.2019.00024/full
Dey S, Ray K. Cholinergic activity is essential for maintaining the anterograde transport of Choline
Acetyltransferase in Drosophila. Sci Rep. 2018 May 23;8(1):8028.
Hedtke V, Bakovic M. Choline transport for phospholipid synthesis: An emerging role of choline
transporter-like protein 1. Exp Biol Med (Maywood). 2019 May;244(8):655-662.

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