iPedia Free Information Center

Information about Neuromodulator

A neuromodulator is a substance other than a neurotransmitter, released by a neuron at a synapse and conveying information to a region of neurons, either enhancing or dampening their activities. In contrast, neurotransmitters only convey information between two neurons.

A neuromodulator is a relatively new concept in the field and it can be conceptualized as a neurotransmitter that is not reabsorbed by the pre-synaptic neuron or broken down into a metabolite. Such neuromodulators end up spending a significant amount of time in the CSF (cerebrospinal fluid) and influencing (or modulating) the overall activity level of the brain. For this reason, some neurotransmitters are also considered as neuromodulators. Examples of neuromodulators in this category are serotonin and acetylcholine.

Types

See also

Neurotransmitters are chemicals that are used to relay, amplify and modulate signals between a neuron and another cell. According to the prevailing beliefs of the 1960s, a chemical can be classified as a neurotransmitter if it meets the following conditions:

..... Click the link for more information.
Neurons (also known as neurones and nerve cells) are electrically excitable cells in the nervous system that process and transmit information. In vertebrate animals, neurons are the core components of the brain, spinal cord and peripheral nerves.
..... Click the link for more information.
synapse. Synapses allow nerve cells to communicate with one another through axons and dendrites, converting electrical impulses into chemical signals.]]

Chemical synapses
..... Click the link for more information.
Neurotransmitters are chemicals that are used to relay, amplify and modulate signals between a neuron and another cell. According to the prevailing beliefs of the 1960s, a chemical can be classified as a neurotransmitter if it meets the following conditions:

..... Click the link for more information.
Metabolomics is the "systematic study of the unique chemical fingerprints that specific cellular processes leave behind" - specifically, the study of their small-molecule metabolite profiles.
..... Click the link for more information.
In animals, the brain or encephalon (Greek for "in the skull"), is the control center of the central nervous system, responsible for behavior. The brain is located in the head, protected by the skull and close to the primary sensory apparatus of vision, hearing,
..... Click the link for more information.
Neurotransmitters are chemicals that are used to relay, amplify and modulate signals between a neuron and another cell. According to the prevailing beliefs of the 1960s, a chemical can be classified as a neurotransmitter if it meets the following conditions:

..... Click the link for more information.
A neuromodulator is a substance other than a neurotransmitter, released by a neuron at a synapse and conveying information to a region of neurons, either enhancing or dampening their activities. In contrast, neurotransmitters only convey information between two neurons.
..... Click the link for more information.
Serotonin (pronounced IPA: /ˌsɛrəˈtoʊnən/) (5-hydroxytryptamine, or 5-HT) is a monoamine neurotransmitter synthesized in serotonergic neurons in the central nervous system (CNS) and
..... Click the link for more information.
The chemical compound acetylcholine, often abbreviated as ACh, was the first neurotransmitter to be identified. It is a chemical transmitter in both the peripheral nervous system (PNS) and central nervous system (CNS) in many organisms including humans.
..... Click the link for more information.
Opioid Peptides are short sequences of amino acids which mimic the effect of opiates in the brain. Opioid peptides may be produced by the body itself, for example endorphins, or be absorbed from partially digested food (casomorphins, exorphins and rubiscolins).
..... Click the link for more information.
Endorphins are endogenous opioid biochemical compounds. They are polypeptides produced by the pituitary gland and the hypothalamus in vertebrates, and they resemble the opiates in their abilities to produce analgesia and a sense of well-being.
..... Click the link for more information.
An enkephalin is a pentapeptide ending with either leucine ("leu") or methionine ("met"). Both are products of the proenkephalin gene.
  • Met-enkephalin is Tyr-Gly-Gly-Phe-Met.
  • Leu-enkephalin has Tyr-Gly-Gly-Phe-Leu.
Enkephalins play many roles in regulating pain.
..... Click the link for more information.
Dynorphin is a class of peptides produced by many different populations of neurons, which has some opiate-like activity. It is thus classed as an endogenous opioid peptide.
..... Click the link for more information.
Substance P is a neuropeptide: a short-chain polypeptide that functions as a neurotransmitter and as a neuromodulator. It belongs to the tachykinin neuropeptide family.

It is an 11-amino acid polypeptide with the sequence: Arg Pro Lys Pro Gln Gln Phe Phe Gly Leu Met


..... Click the link for more information.
Octopamine is a biogenic amine which is closely related to noradrenaline, and has a similar action to dopamine.

Role in invertebrates

Octopamine was first discovered by Italian scientist Vittorio Erspamer in 1948 [1]
..... Click the link for more information.
Neurotransmission (latin: transmissio = passage, crossing; from transmitto = send, let through), also called synaptic transmission, is the transfer of signals between neurons.
..... Click the link for more information.


This article is copied from an article on Wikipedia.org - the free encyclopedia created and edited by online user community. The text was not checked or edited by anyone on our staff. Although the vast majority of the wikipedia encyclopedia articles provide accurate and timely information please do not assume the accuracy of any particular article. This article is distributed under the terms of GNU Free Documentation License.
Herod_Archelaus


page counter