Neurotransmitters: Types, Functions, and Examples Chart

🧠 Quick Study Guide

• 🧬 Neurotransmitters are chemical messengers that transmit signals across a synapse.
• ⚡ They bind to receptors on the target cell, causing a change in its activity.
• Types of Neurotransmitters:
  • 🎯 Excitatory: Increase the likelihood of the target cell firing an action potential (e.g., Glutamate).
  • ⛔ Inhibitory: Decrease the likelihood of the target cell firing an action potential (e.g., GABA).
  • 🔄 Modulatory: Can affect a larger number of neurons at once (e.g., Dopamine, Serotonin).
• 🌟 Key Examples and Functions:
  • 😄 Serotonin: Mood regulation, sleep, appetite.
  • 😄 Dopamine: Reward, motivation, motor control.
  • 🧠 Glutamate: Main excitatory neurotransmitter; learning and memory.
  • 🧘 GABA: Main inhibitory neurotransmitter; reduces neuronal excitability.
  • 💪 Acetylcholine: Muscle contraction, memory, attention.
  • 🚨 Norepinephrine: Alertness, arousal, fight-or-flight response.

🧪 Practice Quiz

1. Which neurotransmitter is primarily associated with mood regulation and sleep?
1. Acetylcholine
2. Dopamine
3. Serotonin
4. Glutamate
2. Which neurotransmitter is the primary excitatory neurotransmitter in the brain?
1. GABA
2. Serotonin
3. Dopamine
4. Glutamate
3. What is the main function of GABA?
1. Increase neuronal excitability
2. Decrease neuronal excitability
3. Muscle contraction
4. Regulate mood
4. Which neurotransmitter is associated with the reward system and motor control?
1. Acetylcholine
2. Dopamine
3. Serotonin
4. Glutamate
5. Which neurotransmitter plays a key role in muscle contraction?
1. Acetylcholine
2. Dopamine
3. Serotonin
4. GABA
6. Which neurotransmitter is involved in the fight-or-flight response?
1. Acetylcholine
2. Dopamine
3. Norepinephrine
4. Glutamate
7. Which of the following is an inhibitory neurotransmitter?
1. Glutamate
2. Acetylcholine
3. Dopamine
4. GABA