Brain and Neuroscience

Neurotransmitters are chemical agents enclosed at the end of axons of nerve cells that diffuse across the synaptic gap and transmit information to neighboring cells. In layman’s terms, cells use these neurotransmitters to communicate with each other. Six important neurotransmitters are Acetylcholine, Serotonin, Norepinephrine, Dopamine, GABA, and Endorphins.

1)     Acetylcholine is a chemical transmitter, found in both the Peripheral Nervous System and Central Nervous System, which allows neurons to communicate with each other within humans and other organisms. 

2)     Serotonins are neurotransmitters found in CNS of animals. They are involved in sleep, depression and memory.

3)     Norepinephrine acts as a drug, it will increase blood pressure, trigger physical arousal and affect learning and memory. They are synthesized from dopamine and also function as a neurotransmitter and as a stress hormone.

4)     Dopamine is also a neurotransmitter and hormone associated with movement, attention, learning, and the brain’s pleasure. Insufficient formation and action of dopamine can cause Parkinson’s disease.

5)     GABA (Gamma-Aminobutyric Acid) is a neurotransmitter found in the nervous systems of widely divergent species. GABA helps balance and offset excitatory messages from neurons.

6)     Endorphins are chemicals manufactured by the brain, which are released in response to stress or trauma and used to reduce the perception of pain.

The cerebral cortex is made up of four lobes; the frontal lobe, parietal lobe, temporal lobe, and occipital lobe. The cerebral cortex is involved in many complex brain functions including memory, attention, perceptual awareness, “thinking”, language, and consciousness.

1)     The frontal lobe is located at the front of the brain and is associated with reasoning, motor skills, higher lever cognition, and expressive language. At the back of the frontal lobe, near the central sulcus, lies the motor cortex. This area of the brain receives information from various lobes of the brain and utilizes this information to carry out body movements.

2)     The parietal lobe is located in the middle section of the brain and is associated with processing physical sensory information such as pressure, touch, and pain. A portion of the brain known as the somatosensory cortex is located in this lobe and is essential to the processing of the body’s senses.

3)     The temporal lobe is located on the bottom section of the brain. This lobe is the location of the primary auditory cortex, which is important for interpreting sounds and the language we hear.