The Effects of Dopamine on the Body
The Effect of Dopamine on the Mind and Body
Dopamine is a neurotransmitter, one very important to the body. A neurotransmitter is a chemical that is used to send messages through the body through nerve cells. Dopamine is a neurotransmitter that affects movement, behavior, learning, emotions, and feelings, most commonly pleasure. Dopamine is produced mainly in the brain, and is released at certain times to help with the body’s emotional and physical functions. Dopamine works in different areas for different situations. There is a part of the brain called substantia nigra that has neurons that make dopamine. The other place, one less defined, is the ventral tegmental area (VTA). This part is more focused on pleasure. If the dopamine level is not balanced, disorders will most likely occur.
If dopamine is not balanced, than more or less is needed to normalize body functions. Dopamine, as a neurotransmitter, travels in between nerve cells. Nerve cells have their own cell body, and around the body are branches of nerve fiber. Around the axon in small cylinder-like wrappings is different tissue called the myelin sheath. At the end of the axon is small gap called the synapse. The synapse is the bridge between nerve cells that transfers the information. The synapse is made of three parts: the presynaptic ending, where the neurotransmitters are, along with some other cell organelles; the postsynaptic ending is the part that receives what the presynaptic ending lets go and the postsynaptic ending can be another axon, a dendrite, or a cell body. Then the synaptic cleft, which is the space in between the presynaptic and postsynaptic endings. What happens is that the neurotransmitter is created in the nerve cell, and travels by a vesicle. The vesicles store the neurotransmitters when they receive them from the cell body and move to the presynaptic ending when an electric impulse is sent through the cell, which acts like an activation code. The vesicles release the
Dopamine is a neurotransmitter, one very important to the body. A neurotransmitter is a chemical that is used to send messages through the body through nerve cells. Dopamine is a neurotransmitter that affects movement, behavior, learning, emotions, and feelings, most commonly pleasure. Dopamine is produced mainly in the brain, and is released at certain times to help with the body’s emotional and physical functions. Dopamine works in different areas for different situations. There is a part of the brain called substantia nigra that has neurons that make dopamine. The other place, one less defined, is the ventral tegmental area (VTA). This part is more focused on pleasure. If the dopamine level is not balanced, disorders will most likely occur.
If dopamine is not balanced, than more or less is needed to normalize body functions. Dopamine, as a neurotransmitter, travels in between nerve cells. Nerve cells have their own cell body, and around the body are branches of nerve fiber. Around the axon in small cylinder-like wrappings is different tissue called the myelin sheath. At the end of the axon is small gap called the synapse. The synapse is the bridge between nerve cells that transfers the information. The synapse is made of three parts: the presynaptic ending, where the neurotransmitters are, along with some other cell organelles; the postsynaptic ending is the part that receives what the presynaptic ending lets go and the postsynaptic ending can be another axon, a dendrite, or a cell body. Then the synaptic cleft, which is the space in between the presynaptic and postsynaptic endings. What happens is that the neurotransmitter is created in the nerve cell, and travels by a vesicle. The vesicles store the neurotransmitters when they receive them from the cell body and move to the presynaptic ending when an electric impulse is sent through the cell, which acts like an activation code. The vesicles release the