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Related Concept Videos

Organization of the Brain01:30

Organization of the Brain

The brain is an integral component of the nervous system and serves as the center for processing sensory inputs, making decisions, and directing bodily actions. This complex organ is organized into three primary sections: the hindbrain, midbrain, and forebrain, each responsible for a range of vital functions.
Hindbrain
The hindbrain, located at the base of the brain, plays a vital role in regulating automatic processes that sustain life. It includes the medulla oblongata, which is essential for...
Drugs Affecting Neurotransmitter Synthesis01:29

Drugs Affecting Neurotransmitter Synthesis

Drugs affecting neurotransmitter synthesis can impact the adrenergic neuron and the synthesis of neurotransmitters. For example, α-methyltyrosine and carbidopa target specific enzymes involved in catecholamine synthesis. α-methyltyrosine inhibits the enzyme tyrosine hydroxylase, which converts tyrosine into dopamine. By blocking this enzyme, α-methyltyrosine reduces dopamine production and other catecholamines. Carbidopa, on the other hand, inhibits the enzyme dopa decarboxylase, which converts...
Neurotransmitters01:31

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Neurotransmitters are essential chemical messengers within the nervous system, facilitating the communication between neurons. These chemical messengers, varying in function and effect, are critical for sustaining various aspects of neurological health and emotional well-being.
Brainstem01:19

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Excitatory and Inhibitory Effects of Neurotransmitters01:29

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When an action potential reaches the presynaptic axon terminal, it releases neurotransmitters from the neuron into the synaptic cleft at a chemical synapse. The released neurotransmitter can be excitatory or inhibitory. The critical criteria commonly used to determine whether a molecule is a neurotransmitter at a chemical synapse are the molecule's presence in the presynaptic neuron. Second, its release is in response to strong presynaptic depolarization. And lastly, the presence of specific...
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Updated: May 27, 2026

Presynaptic Dopamine Dynamics in Striatal Brain Slices with Fast-scan Cyclic Voltammetry
08:49

Presynaptic Dopamine Dynamics in Striatal Brain Slices with Fast-scan Cyclic Voltammetry

Published on: January 12, 2012

What dopamine does in the brain.

Solomon H Snyder1

  • 1The Solomon H. Snyder Department of Neuroscience, Department of Pharmacology and Molecular Sciences, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA. ssnyder@jhmi.edu

Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America
|November 23, 2011
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Researchers discovered dopamine-sensitive adenyl cyclase, linking neurotransmitters to cellular responses. This finding advanced understanding of dopamine's role in brain function and antipsychotic drug mechanisms.

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Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: May 27, 2026

Presynaptic Dopamine Dynamics in Striatal Brain Slices with Fast-scan Cyclic Voltammetry
08:49

Presynaptic Dopamine Dynamics in Striatal Brain Slices with Fast-scan Cyclic Voltammetry

Published on: January 12, 2012

Comprehensive Profiling of Dopamine Regulation in Substantia Nigra and Ventral Tegmental Area
09:54

Comprehensive Profiling of Dopamine Regulation in Substantia Nigra and Ventral Tegmental Area

Published on: August 10, 2012

Primary Culture of Mouse Dopaminergic Neurons
11:58

Primary Culture of Mouse Dopaminergic Neurons

Published on: September 8, 2014

Area of Science:

  • Neuroscience
  • Biochemistry
  • Pharmacology

Background:

  • Before the 1970s, neurotransmitter receptors and their second messenger pathways were largely uncharacterized.
  • The precise biochemical mechanisms of neurotransmitter action, particularly dopamine, remained elusive.

Observation:

  • The study identified a novel enzyme, dopamine-sensitive adenyl cyclase.
  • This enzyme was initially characterized in sympathetic ganglia, where dopamine neurons connect other neurons.

Findings:

  • The research delineated the properties of dopamine-sensitive adenyl cyclase in the corpus striatum, a dopamine-rich brain region.
  • Crucially, the enzyme was found to be inhibited by antipsychotic drugs.

Implications:

  • This discovery established a biochemical link between dopamine and cellular signaling pathways.
  • It provided a foundation for extensive research into dopamine's role in antipsychotic drug action.
  • The findings suggested potential involvement of dopamine in the pathophysiology of schizophrenia.