NEUROTRANSM

ITTERS
AND
RECEPTORS
PRESENTED BY
LOGAVARSHINI S
MSC 1ST YR
DEPARMENT OF BIOCHEMISTRY,
MS RAMIAH COLLEGE OF ARTS SCIENCE AND
COMMERCE.
 TABLE OF CONTENTS

RECEPTORS
01 NEUROTRANSMIT
TERS 02 WHAT ARE RECEPTORS
WHAT ARE AND ITS TYPES
NEUROTRANSMITTERS,
MECHANISM AND
CLASSIFICATION

03 DISORDERS
ASSOCIATED WITH
NEUROTRANSMIT
TERS
INTRODUCTION
NEURONS CAN TRANSMIT THEIR IMPULSES IN
TWO WAYS:
• CHEMICAL SYNAPSE-NEUROTRANSMITTERS
• ELECTRICAL SYNAPSE(RARE)
01
NEUROTRANSMI
TTERS
WHAT ARE NEUROTRANSMITTERS?
Neurotransmitters are substances which neurons use to communicate with
one another and with their target tissues in the process of synaptic
transmission (neurotransmission).
PRESYNAPTIC NEURON → NEUROTRANSMITTER → RECEPTOR
OF POST SYNAPTIC NEURON
OR TARGET TISSUE
There are more than 40 neurotransmitters in
the human nervous system; some of the most
important are acetylcholine, norepinephrine,
dopamine, gamma-aminobutyric acid
(GABA), glutamate, serotonin, and histamine.
 MECHANISM OF
NEUROTRANSMISSION
NERVE ENDING – SYNTHESIS OF
NEUROTRANSMITTER

AFTER DEPOLARISATION

CHANGE IN STATE OF
MEMBRANE PROTEINS
Ca2+ GATED CHANNELS OPEN

EXOCYTOSIS OF
VESICLES

RELEASE OF NEUROTRANSMITTER
INTO SYNAPTIC CLEFT
NEUROTRANSMITTERS BIND TO THE
RECEPTORS ON POST SYNAPTIC
NEURON

THE LIGAND GATED CHANNEL EITHER

OPEN OR CLOSE
WHAT HAPPENS AFTER THE LIGAND
BINDS TO THE RECEPTOR?
IT CAN STIMULATE THE
TARGET CELL
IT CAN INHIBIT THE
TARGET CELL
IT CAN ALSO MODULATE
THE TARGET CELL
 CLASSIFICATION OF
NEUROTRANSMITTERS
BASED ON FUNCTION
EXCITATORY
NEUROTRANSMITTERS

INHIBITORY
NEUROTRANSMITTERS
ENHANCE THE ACTION POTENTIAL MODULATORY
IN THE POST SYNAPTIC NEURON
NEUROTRANSMITTERS
IHIBIT THE ACTION POTENTIAL IN THE POST
SYNAPTIC NEURON
 NEUROTRANSMITTERS
EXCITATORY INHIBITORY

ACETYLCHOLINE
EPINEPHRINE
NOREPINEPHRINE GABA,
GLUTAMATE SEROTONIN
HISTAMINE

DOPAMINE BOTH EXCITATORY AND

INHIBITORY
 BASED ON STRUCTURE

NH2

MONOAMINE NEUROPEPTI
AMINO ACIDS
S DES
GLYCINE ,GLUTAMATE,G SEROTONIN ,HISTAMINE,EP ENDORPHINS,
ABA INEPHRINE,NOREPINEPHRI ENKEPHALINS,
NE, SUBSTANCE P,
DOPAMINE NEUROPEPTIDE Y
ACETYLCHOLIN
E
• EXCITATORY IN ALL
TYPE EXCEPT HEART

• Motor neurons, basal ganglia,

RELEASED preganglionic neurons of the
FROM autonomic nervous system

• Regulates the sleep cycle,

essential for muscle
FUNCTION functioning
• For example, poisonous plants like curare and hemlock
cause paralysis of muscles by blocking the
acetylcholine receptor sites of myocytes (muscle cells).
• The well-known poison botulin works by preventing
vesicles in the nerve ending from releasing
acetylcholine, thus leading to paralysis of the effector
muscle.
 NOREPINEPHRIN
E
• EXCITATORY
TYPE

RELEASED • BRAIN STEM,HYPOTHALAMUS, ADRENAL

GLANDS
FROM

• INCREASES THE LEVEL OF WAKEFULNESS

AND ALERTNESS.STIMULATES VARIOUS
FUNCTION PROCESS IN THE BODY
• Norepinephrine has been implicated in
mood disorders such
as depression and anxiety, in which
case its concentration in the body is
abnormally low.
• Alternatively, an abnormally high
concentration of it may lead to an
impaired sleep cycle.
 EPINEPHRINE
• EXCITATORY
TYPE

RELEASED • CHROMAFFIN CELLS OF ADRENAL GLAND

FROM

• FIGHT OR FLIGHT RESPONSE AND

INCREASES HEART RATE BLOOD
PRESSURE
FUNCTIONS
• INCREASES GLUCOSE SYNTHESIS BY
GLYCONEOGENESIS
 GABA
gamma Aminobutyric Acid
• INHIBITORY
TYPE

• SPINAL CHORD
RELEASED • CEREBRAL CORTEX
• CEREBELLUM
FROM • BASAL GAGLIA

• REDUCES NEURAL EXCITABILITY THROUGHOUT THE

FUNCTIONS SYSTEM
GLUTAMATE
• EXCITATORY
TYPE

• SENSORY NEURONS AND

RELEASED CEREBRAL CORTEX
FROM

• REGULATES CNS
EXCITABLITY,LEARNING
FUNCTION PROCESS,MEMORY
HISTAMINE
• EXCITATORY
TYPE

• Hypothalamus, cells of the stomach

mucosa, mast cells, and basophils in
RELEASED the blood
FROM

• Regulates wakefulness, blood

pressure, pain, and sexual behavior;
increases the acidity of the stomach;
FUNCTION mediates inflammatory reactions
SEROTONIN
• INHIBITORY
TYPE

• Neurons of the brainstem and

RELEASED gastrointestinal tract,
FROM thrombocytes

• Regulates body temperature,

perception of pain, emotions,
FUNCTION and sleep cycle
DOPAMINE
•EXCITATORY AND INHIBITORY
TYPE

RELEASED •SUBSTANTIAL NIGRA

FROM

•Inhibits unnecessary movements,

inhibits the release of prolactin, and
FUNCTION stimulates the secretion of growth
hormone
IN A NUTSHELL
 TYPES OF RECEPTORS

LIGAND METABOTROPIC
ACTIVATED ION 01 02 RECEPTORS
CHANNELS
LIGAND GATED ION CHANNEL
METABOTROPIC RECEPTORS
 ACETYLCHOLINE RECEPTORS

NICOTINIC MUSCARINIC
RECEPTOR
EXCITATORY IN RECEPTOR
INHIBITORY IN HEART
SKELETAL MUSCLE MUSCLE
ALZEIMER’S DISEASE
Lack of
acetylcholine in
certain regions of the
brain.
neurodegenerative disorder characterized
by learning and memory impairments.
DEPRESSION
Depletion
of norepinephrine, serotonin,
and dopamine in the central
nervous system
SCHIZOPHRENIA
Excessive amounts
of dopamine
• Schizophrenia is a serious
mental disorder in which people
interpret reality abnormally.
• It may cause delusions,
hallucinations, disorganized
thinking and behavior
PARKINSON’S DISEASE
DOPAMINE
DEPLETION
• The destruction of the substantia nigra
leads to the destruction of the only central
nervous system source of dopamine.
• Dopamine depletion leads to
uncontrollable muscle tremors seen in
patients suffering from Parkinson's
disease.
EPILEPSY
INCREASE IN
GLUTAMATE OR
LACK OF GABA
• Some epileptic conditions are caused by
the lack of inhibitory neurotransmitters,
such as GABA, or by the increase of
excitatory neurotransmitters, such is
glutamate.
HUNTINGTON’S DISEASE
REDUCED ABILITY OF
NEURONS TO TAKE UP
GABA AND IT IS
INHERITED[DISORDED
DNA].CHRONIC
REDUCTION OF GABA.
• There is no cure for Huntington’s
disease, but we still can treat
symptoms by pharmacologically
increasing the amount of inhibitory
neurotransmitters.
MYASTHENIA GRAVIS

Myasthenia gravis is a rare chronic

autoimmune disease characterized by th
impairment of synaptic transmission
of acetylcholine at neuromuscular
junctions, leading to fatigue and muscul
weakness without atrophy.
 REFERENCES
● URL: https://www.kenhub.com/en/library/anatomy/neurotransmitters https://
www.verywellhealth.com/huntingtons-disease-symptoms-5091956
https://uw.pressbooks.pub/autonomic/chapter/chapter-1/
● CLASS -12 NCERT PAGE:319
THANK YOU