DAY 5: How do cells in the brain communicate? - PowerPoint Presentation

Slide1

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.

1. Label the parts of the neuron.

NEURON ACTIVITY

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

__________________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________

Dendrite

Cell body

Nucleus

Myelin Sheath

Axon

Axon terminal

Synapse

Connections

between

neuronsDendrites =

Take in informationAxon = Send out information

How does the brain

work?

Synapses!

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

NeurotransmissionNeuron 1 NEUROTRANSMITTERS

Chemicals in vesicles that get released

Examples: dopamine, serotonin

Neuron 2 RECEPTORSReceivers for specific chemicalsExamples: dopamine receptor, serotonin receptor

Normal Neurotransmission

(

D

opamine signals reward)

T

R

R

M

M

DA

DA

DA

DA

AP

Pre-synaptic neuron

Post-synaptic neuron

Neurotransmission Game!Roles:

Electrical signal

Vesicles (containing neurotransmitters)

ReceptorMessengerTransporterActing it Out:Electrical Signal > Vesicle > Receptor > Messenger

Messenger > Receptor > Neurotransmitter > Transporter

Short break

Neurotransmitters in your bodyGlutamate – excites neurons to fire, involved in memory

GABA

– inhibits (stops) other neurons from firing

Serotonin – affects moodDopamine – involved with feeling reward, learning, & emotionAcetylcholine – involved with memory & attention &muscle actionNorepinephrine – involved with alertness

What do you predict happens when these are out of balance?

Neurotransmitter

Normal Function

ImbalanceGlutamateExcites neurons, memoryGABAInhibits (stops) neuronsSerotoninAffects mood, hunger, & sleepDopamine

Involved in reward, learning, emotionAcetylcholineEnables muscles, learning, & memoryNorepinephrine

Helps control alertness

TOO MUCH

leads to migraines or seizures

TOO LITTLE

leads to seizures, tremors, & insomnia

TOO

LITTLE

leads to depression

TOO MUCH

leads to schizophrenia. TOO LITTLE leads to tremors and decreased mobility in Parkinson’s & ADHD

Alzheimer’s decreases the amount of this

TOO LITTLE

can cause depressed mood 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

AP

R

R

Glu

Glu

Glu

AP

AP

AP

Pre-synaptic neuron

Post-synaptic neuron

Neurotransmitter Challenge Choose from the following neurotransmitters:

Serotonin

Dopamine

AcetylcholineNorepinephrine

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?