Essay On Neurotransmitters

NEUROTRANSMITTER

Defination;

Neurotransmitters are chemical messengers that send signals across a chemical synapse.The signal is transmitted through a neuromuscular junction between two neurorons .The target cell may either be a muscle cell or a gland cell.Neurotransmitter is released from synaptic vesicle into synaptic cleft where receptors called as neuroreceptors; are present.We may take amino acids in our diet that are necessary for the synthesis of neurotransmitters.

Discovery;

Untill the 20th century scientists believed that mostiy communication between brain cells or neurons is electrical.Romon Y Cajal then identified a space between neurons that is now called as synaptic cleft.He suggested that if neurons are separated by a gap then they communicate by some substances of chemical nature.Then in 1921 Otto Loewi also identified that they interact by some chemical substances.He performed an experiment on the vagus nerve of frog and he controlled the saline solution around the vagus nerve to slow down the rate of heart contraction .He found that the cardiac function can be controlled by controlling the amount of chemical around the vagus nerve .Then he successfully discovered the acetylcholine .This is firstly discovered neurotransmitter.

Classification of neurotransmitter