Serotonin, noradrenaline and dopamine are three primary inhibitory neurotransmitters in your brain. Neurotransmitters are chemical compounds that allow the transmission of signals from your brain to your body. Inhibitory neurotransmitters act by...
Adrenaline is a hormone that stimulates the body to quick action in response to exercise as well as physical and emotional stress. It is produced by the adrenal glands -- small triangular organs atop the kidneys. Adrenaline and its companion...
The normal heart rate for an average adult is 60 to 100 beats per minute. This number can increase to a maximum heart rate during exercise that varies with age. Your heart rate, both at rest and during exercise, is controlled by the nervous...
Coffee has a well-deserved reputation as an energy booster and a "pick-me-up" when you're feeling fatigued. Caffeine as well as other ingredients in coffee increase alertness and decrease tiredness. Rather than slowing your metabolism, the...
Yohimbe is an herb derived from the bark of the yohimbe tree, which is native to West Africa. It is sold as a supplement in tablet and tincture form, and the dried bark can also be taken as a tea for a variety of medicinal purposes. As with any...
Electrolytes are part of the most basic of life functions, including nervous system control. Healthy brain function depends on the processes that electrolytes regulate and maintain. They accomplish these functions directly through their influence...
A pheochromocytoma is an adrenal gland tumor located in the center (medulla) of the adrenal gland. It causes the adrenal gland to produce too much adrenaline (epinephrine) and noradrenaline (norepinephrine). These tumors are usually benign, but...
Neisseria meningitidis is a bacterium that causes a severe infection of the meninges, a condition known as meningococcal meningitis, says DermNet NZ. This form of meningitis is especially serious and life-threatening, carrying the risk of severe...
According to "Harrison's Principles of Internal Medicine," dopamine is an essential neurotransmitter found in the substantia nigra of the midbrain. As a neurotransmitter in the central nervous system, or CNS, it is produced in presynaptic neurons...
A tumor occurs when cells grow abnormally and out of control, forming a mass. Any type of cell in the body can develop into a tumor. The adrenal glands, found just above the kidneys, produce hormones commonly referred to as the stress hormones. A...
Norepinephrine, also known as noradrenaline, is a powerful medication that is primarily used for its effect on the heart and blood vessels. It is normally produced in the medulla portion of the adrenal glands, and has been approved by the Food and...
Norepinephrine, or noradrenaline, is a catecholamine that functions as a neurotransmitter and a stress hormone. High levels of norepinephrine can refer to high levels of the chemical either in the blood or in the central nervous system. Though...
The brain consists of many subdivisions and parts. The outermost portion, which is the wrinkled, grayish portion of the brain most familiar to many individuals, is called the cerebral cortex. This part of the brain is subdivided further, with the...
Several classes of drugs are used as medicine for depression. These drugs are often referred to as antidepressants. Depression is the most common mood disorder that is treated with antidepressants, although they may also be used to treat anxiety,...
Stress can come in many forms. Stress can be mental, as in preparing to take a test, or trying to figure out how to pay your bills. Stress can also come in physical forms, such as running from a dangerous criminal. Wherever your stress comes from,...
Dopamine & norepinephrine are two critical neurotransmitters that regulate your mood and behavior. Both dopamine and norepinephrine are in tricyclic antidepressant medications which are used to treat depression. However, neither dopamine or...
University of Rochester experts say caffeine, a naturally occurring chemical in cocoa beans, tea leaves and kola nuts, for example, is consumed by approximately 90 percent of the people in the world. Doctors classify caffeine as a drug because it...
Everyone has two adrenal glands, also called suprarenal glands, one located on top of each of the kidneys. Adrenal glands produce essential hormones which are necessary for controlling the body's metabolism, immune system, response to stress and...
Phenylalanine is one of the amino acids, which are the units that link together to form protein. Phenelalanine is also used to produce a number of neurotransmitters in your body. Neurotransmitters are chemicals your brain and nerves use to...
Caffeine helps you stay awake and alert because it is a central nervous system stimulant. In fact, you may feel the effects from caffeine for up to 6 hours. This drug stimulates your central nervous system, in part, by affecting certain...
The adrenal glands are only 1 to 2-1/2 inches in length, but they affect many important bodily functions. The adrenal glands work within the endocrine system to produce hormones, which are chemicals produced in one part of the body that affect a...
Doctors use the term metabolism to describe all of the physical and chemical processes involved with the break down and use of energy. Although most people associate digestion and waste elimination with metabolism, it also includes blood...
Epinephrine and norepinephrine are hormones classified as catecholamines. They are produced by the adrenal glands, which are found on top of the kidneys. If you're under physical or emotional stress, the adrenal glands release a surge of these...
Protein is essential to every cell in your body. It is composed of complex molecules called amino acids. Some amino acids are considered nonessential because your body can make them, while you obtain others from food. Tyrosine is a nonessential...
The University of Rochester reports that approximately 90 percent of people worldwide consume caffeine in some form, most commonly in beverages. Although a natural substance found in cocoa beans, tea leaves and kola nuts, doctors classify caffeine...
Acacia rigidula or "blackbrush" is a perennial shrub and member of the legume family. Native to southern Texas and central Mexico, it has been used by Native Americans for decades. Burgeoning obesity rates in North America and the anorectic...
Vitamin D is a fat-soluble vitamin necessary for the growth and development of bones. Vitamin D regulates calcium absorption in the intestines and maintains serum calcium levels. In recent years, vitamin D has gained attention for its role in...
Dopamine hydrochloride is the synthetic form of endogenous catecholamine, a hormone released in times of physical or emotional stress. It is also an inotropic vasopressor agent that has effects on the heart muscle contraction and on blood...
The adrenal glands are triangle-shaped glands on top of the kidneys, which are located in the lower back. The outer part of the glands produces steroid hormones like cortisol, aldosterone and testosterone. The inner part of the glands produces...
