DAY 5:

How do cells in the brain

communicate?
What are the major chemicals
in the brain that affect
behavior?
 Review of Memory
What did we learn
about different
types and phases
of memory?

What did we learn

from HM?
Neurons
Cells in the brain
that carry
messages through
signals to other
parts of the brain.
 NEURON ACTIVITY
1. Label the parts of the neuron.

Synapse

Dendrite Axon
terminal

Cell body

Nucleus

Axon
Myelin Sheath

2. Describe how a signal travels through a neuron to the next neuron.

__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
How does the brain work?
Synapses!

Connections between neurons

Dendrites = Take in information
Axon = Send out information
 Let’s go deeper…
What’s happening at a synapse?
• Chemical release from one
neuron to another
• Packages of chemicals
(vesicles of neurotransmitters)
are released from one neuron
• Another neuron receives the
chemicals (receptors)

Neurotransmission
 Neurotransmission
Neuron 1 Neuron 2
NEUROTRANSMITTERS RECEPTORS

• Chemicals in vesicles that • Receivers for specific

get released chemicals
• Examples: dopamine, • Examples: dopamine
serotonin receptor, serotonin receptor
 Normal Neurotransmission
(Dopamine signals reward)

R M
AP DA DA

DA DA

R M

Pre-synaptic
Post-synaptic
neuron
neuron
 Neurotransmission Game!
Roles: Acting it Out:
• Electrical signal Electrical Signal >
• Vesicles (containing Vesicle >
neurotransmitters) Receptor >
• Receptor Messenger
• Messenger
• Transporter Messenger >
Receptor >
Neurotransmitter >
Transporter
Short
break
Neurotransmitters in your body
• Glutamate – excites neurons to fire,
involved in memory
• GABA – inhibits (stops) other neurons
from firing
• Serotonin – affects mood

• Dopamine – involved with feeling

reward, learning, & emotion
• Acetylcholine – involved with memory
& attention &muscle action
• Norepinephrine – involved with
alertness
 What do you predict happens when these
are out of balance?
Neurotransmitte Normal Function Imbalance
r
TOO MUCH leads to migraines or
Glutamate Excites neurons, seizures
memory
TOO LITTLE leads to seizures, tremors,
GABA Inhibits (stops) & insomnia
neurons
Serotonin Affects mood, TOO LITTLE leads to depression
hunger, & sleep
Dopamine Involved in reward, TOO MUCH leads to schizophrenia. TOO
learning, emotion LITTLE leads to tremors and decreased
mobility in Parkinson’s & ADHD
Acetylcholine Enables muscles,
learning, &
Alzheimer’s decreases the amount of this
memory
Norepinephrine Helps control TOO LITTLE can cause depressed mood
alertness and cause attention deficit problems
Neurotransmitter Challenge
• In a group of 3, pick one neurotransmitter.

• Learn how it operates in the brain normally.

• Learn what happens if it’s out of balance.

• Does this result in a different mood status?
• Does this result in a disease or disorder?

• With your group, act out a modified version of the

Neurotransmission Game to simulate your
neurotransmitter working normally and abnormally.
 An example –
Glutamate & Epilepsy

T
R

AP Glu
AP
Glu Glu

Pre-synaptic Post-synaptic
neuron neuron
Neurotransmitter Challenge
• Choose from the following
neurotransmitters:

• Serotonin
• Dopamine
• Acetylcholine
• Norepinephrine
 Reflection Time
Think about what
you did and
learned today.
• What does that
make you think?
• Where do you
feel confused?
• What are you
still curious to
learn more
about?