Premium Essay

Biological Influences

In:

Submitted By elohimsbeauty
Words 290
Pages 2
SSCI206-DB2

Neurotransmitters are chemical signals that facilitate communication between neurons in the brain through the transmission of nerve impulses across the synapse. There are different types of neurotransmitters, each with a different function. The three categories of neurotransmitters are amino acids, monoamines and peptides. Neurons are nerve fibers that transmit signals to other neurons but neurons do not touch but instead the signal travels across a space known as the synapse (Purves, 2001). The neurotransmitter is the chemical that allows the nerve impulses or signals to be transmitted across the synapse.

Dopamine controls voluntary movements in the body and endorphins relieve pain and stress. Serotonin is a neurotransmitter that affects mood or elevates feelings of anxiety while acetylcholine stimulates the muscles (Bora, 2011). When neurotransmitters do not communicate properly if can directly impact the mood of the individual. Acetylcholine is a neurotransmitter that controls important activities in the brain, such as memory and learning. Repressed levels of acetylcholine result in Alzheimer’s while decreased dopamine levels have been connected to Parkinson’s disease.

Research has shown that on studies on the brains with people with Alzheimer's disease have substantially lower levels of acetylcholine. Acetylcholine activates motor neurons in the brain and regulating attention, arousal, and memory. When there are lowered levels of acetylcholine the short term memory of the person begins to fail. The neurotransmitter dopamine controls voluntary movements of the body and in Parkinson’s disease makes it more difficult for the sufferer to control bodily movements.

References

Bora, C. (2011). Neurotransmitters and their Functions. Retrieved Janaury 15, 2013 from

Similar Documents

Free Essay

Biological Influences

...Biological Influences Neurotransmitters are a special chemical stored in vesicles in the terminal buttons. These buttons are located at the end of the axons. The neurotransmitters are released into the tiny spaces between the neurons called synapse. They carry signals from neuron to the dendrites of the next receiving neuron. (Davis & Palladino, pg 53). The effects of this action can vary depending on the neurotransmitter type and the location of the synapse. Two different outcomes can come out of this. One effect would be the neuron that receives the neurotransmitter might transmit the message to other neurons, which is called excitation. Or, the other effect would be that the neuron receiving the neurotransmitter becomes unlikely to transmit the message to other neurons, which is referred to as inhibition. This can have different effects on the body. Neurotransmitters actually impact our moods, aggression, motor skills, memory, and our sleeping behaviors. Too much or too little of particular neurotransmitters can play havoc with a persons health, and can cause a number of common illnesses. Acetylcholine was the first neurotransmitter to be discovered. It was found to control the activity with in the areas of the brain that relate to learning, memory, and attention. Acetylcholine also works within the junction of various nerves and skeletal muscles. (Davis & Palladino, pg.55). The muscles in our lungs that keep us breathing would be paralyzed without acetylcholine...

Words: 644 - Pages: 3

Premium Essay

Biological Influences On A Person's Identity

...A question often asked is, who are we? Is it a question that questions a person’s biological factors or what others see of them? This is the where the idea of the self and identity comes in. The self are the inborn characteristics that they are born with. Some examples are the physical characteristics that distinguish a person from other people, such as, gender and mental stability. The identity is how society shapes a person to be whom they want to be. Influences such as family, friends and communities are factors that shape a persons identity. There is a long debate of whether nature or nurture affects a persons personality traits which determines their identity. Nature would be if genes affect your identity and nurture would be what influences a person after birth. A girl named Genie is an example on how her identity was different from other children her age, after she was discovered being tied up to a potty train toilet. She wasn’t an active member of society which affects how slowly she developed. According to Gardeners Theory of multiple...

Words: 1026 - Pages: 5

Premium Essay

Julian Savulescu's Biological Influences

...In his essay “GENETIC INTERVENTIONS AND THE ETHICS OF ENHANCEMENT OF HUMAN BEINGS” by Julian Savulescu, the author supports the belief that genetic enhancement will become a channel to improve the quality of human lives (Savulescu, 879). Savulescu begins by raising the question of whether or not we should use medical technology for more than just curing diseases by suggesting to improve human lives by interceding on a biological level. He states that it is a morally accepted practice to improve or release one's suffering through medicine. If this is true, it would be permissible to intercede on a biological level if it does the same thing as treating disease. Savulescu main argument is that:1) biologically enhancing our children would...

Words: 986 - Pages: 4

Free Essay

Gender Identity

...The term sex is a biological term that refers to the physical differences between males and females. If sex is the term that encompasses male or female, then what exactly is gender? Gender is a psychological term that refers to the awareness and reaction to the biological term of sex. It also is a term that can construe more than one meaning. Gender is determined by biological, psychological, and sociological factors. Gender consists of three elements: gender role, gender identity, and sexual orientation or preference (Kenyon, 1994-2006). Gender role, is defined as the outward manifestations of personality that reflect the gender identity. Basically, it occurs when someone adopts the masculine or feminine behavioral traits that are associated with each sex. Gender role is manifested within society by observable factors such as behavior and appearance (Ghosh, 2009). Gender identity refers to a person’s personal sense of whether he or she are male or female (or rarely, both or neither). Gender identity, in nearly all instances, is self-identified, as a result of a combination of inherent and extrinsic or environmental factors (Ghosh, 2009). And sexual orientation or preference is whom a person is physically and sexually attracted to. In this paper the topics of discussion will be the interaction between hormones and behaviors in addition to how these interactions affect determining gender identity. It will also explore the biological factor, and how it influences gender as well as...

Words: 1364 - Pages: 6

Premium Essay

Life Stges

...Nature Nurture D 1 http://s2.hubimg.com/u/3627189_f520.jpg(1 August 2011) Some scientists like George Howe Colt think that people behave as they do according to genetic predisposition this is known as the nature theory of human behaviour. Other scientists believe that people think and behave in certain ways because they are taught to do so, this is known as the nurture theory of human behaviour. For Nelson Mandela in his childhood stage he was able to build a house for himself, looking after cattle, playing different types of games. This allowed him to exercise helping him physically in his childhood stage, so I think you are not born strong but you train yourself to be strong which is nurture. From the earliest moments of life, the interaction of heredity and the environment works to shape who children are and who they will become. While the genetic instructions says that a child inherits from his parents which may set out a road map for development, the environment can impact how these directions are expressed, shaped or event silenced. The complex interaction of nature and nurture does not just occur at certain moments or at certain periods of time it is persistent and lifelong. Clearly, social and emotional development can begin as early as birth, but these developments tend to be primordial and limited until the child is no longer a toddler. This is the period when children begin to develop the abilities to interact with others. These interactions can range...

Words: 2721 - Pages: 11

Free Essay

Bioterrorism

...people by measles, plague, small pox, influenza, and typhoid (Magner, 2009). Although there has been some response to such epidemics in the recent past, naturally occurring infections still remain the Achilles’ heel of today’s health systems. 2. Terrorism Versus Bioterrorism Despite the dark past in healthcare systems, current issues of the use of biological agents as means of mass destruction is alarming. Most of the countries across the globe are now faced with the daunting task of terrorism control, since this is one area where biological agents find a lot of use. According to Forst, terrorism may be defined as a “premeditated and unlawful use of violence [on] non-combatant populations having symbolic significance….” (Forst, 2009). Forst mentions that the premeditated and unlawful use of violence usually has an aim of inducing or influencing changes in existing political landscapes; this is normally done through intimidation as well as destabilization of the populations in question. Such populations are identified as enemies by perpetrators of this form of violence. Bioterrorism, then, refers to a form of terrorism where biological agents...

Words: 2016 - Pages: 9

Free Essay

Rougue State Optaining Wmd

...The possibility of a rogue state, terrorist group, or individual acquiring and using chemical or biological weapons is a real treat. The last successful biological attack in the US happened in 1984 when a cult by the name of Rajneeshee in The Dalles Oregon used Salmonella to poison several salad bars of local restaurants. The purpose of this biological attack was to influence local elections which were taken place. Authorities did not find out about the deliberate biological attack until a year later while investigating another unrelated case. Following the September 11 attacks in New York several letters were mailed to media and politician personal with Anthrax, biological agents are a very effective way to spread terror and panic amongst a group of people or a targeted city. Biological agents are easily obtainable, cheap to make, very lethal if employed correctly and extremely hard to detect. Chemical agents are another deadly tool witch terrorist groups, states or individuals can use to created panic, mass hysteria, and high casualty rate. Chemical agents are extremely difficult to handle, produce, and the means of delivery can often be extremely complex. The special handling of chemical agent makes it extremely difficult to transport to the intended target, equipment is available and emplace to monitored and detect any potential chemical attack or agents which makes it that much difficult to get the chemical agent across international borders. The treat of a chemical...

Words: 666 - Pages: 3

Free Essay

Hot Zone

...John Doe English 112P 4 November 2009 Historical Perspective on The Hot Zone The Hot Zone by Richard Preston is a nonfiction book with aspects of a novel. Sometimes called a bio-thriller, it is about the Ebola virus in America. It was written to address a time of fear about viruses in the United States in a time of increased international interaction. Although its impact is negligible, it reflects the nervous attitude of the time. Richard Preston writes narrative nonfiction. Narrative nonfiction is a hybrid style of writing that utilizes the framework of nonfiction with aspects of a novel, dialogue, for instance. Preston favors this style and wrote his dissertation on it during his graduate studies in Princeton. Previously, Preston wrote non-fiction on science such as Astronomy and on History; later his focus shifts to the science of Microbiology. In 1992 Richard Preston wrote an article in The New Yorker, entitled “Crisis in the Hot Zone.” Two years later, this article became the foundation for his non-fiction book, The Hot Zone, which documents the appearance of Ebola in the United States during the late eighties. At the time The Hot Zone was conceived, free trade policies during President George H. W. Bush’s administration were still making an impact worldwide. Bush set forth global objectives, renewing an interest in globalization under the belief that a global market will alleviate America’s growing deficit. Furthermore, he spearheaded the construction of North...

Words: 1038 - Pages: 5

Free Essay

Nature vs. Nurture

...enduring debates in the psychology world today. These debates have been studied and reviewed for many years, with only hypotheses formed, no clear conclusions have been met. In the middle of the debates is human behavior, whether they are learned or inherited remains unanswered. Intelligence, ability, or even personality remains under scrutiny whether these traits are learned or predetermined by specific genes. Physical characteristics can be contributed to hereditary, i.e. eye color or hair color. When referring to nature, it is assumed that what and who we are, as humans, comes in a natural state or inherited. In other words, we are going to be who we are without the influence on how we were raised and matured in our environment. On the other hand, nurture is viewed as what or who we are as a result of our influences and our environment or surroundings. Homosexuality is one of the hottest topics today. One of the reasons for the popularity is the current debate on same sex marriage, along with homosexual human rights campaigns going on in today’s public arena. More so either this “behavior” is by choice or predetermined by genes. The Studies One of the best research in this area is on identical twins. Howard Gruber,  the director of the Institute for Cognitive Studies at Rutgers University in Newark, reviewed and quoted two books written by Susan L. Farber, “Identical Twins Reared Apart, A Reanalysis ” and Niels Juel-Nielsen, “Individual and Environment, Monozygotic Twins...

Words: 1245 - Pages: 5

Premium Essay

Nature vs. Nurture vs. Tofu

... 2 Without conducting any research, I realize that I have never really thought about the subject of nature vs. nurture. By knowing a little of what the controversy is about, I am able to ask myself the right questions to complete my thoughts and come to a proper opinion. Usually I am an extremist by going with one side and not lingering with thoughts in the middle. However, this is a subject that does not deserve one end. By looking and observing those around me, many may notice that people share similar traits. Some traits are the result of nature and others are the result of nurture. There is no 50:50 ratio that is involved in the deciding factor of how much of each side contributes to the individuals we are today. Because biological factors and conformity are two different subjects, there is no scientific way to measure an accurate ratio of nature to nurture. Instead, I believe that each and every person is the product of 100 percent nature as well as 100 percent nurture. As my boyfriend and I are out to lunch, I throw my thoughts at him about nature vs. nurture and he makes me realize that tofu is a great example of both nature and nurture. He asks me how I am able to eat something so bland and tasteless. I tell him that tofu does have sort of a creamy nutty taste to it and is delicious plain uncooked. However, when tofu is cooked, it conforms to and picks up the flavor of the food or sauce that is being cooked with. “Tofu or bean curd is a food made by coagulating...

Words: 1274 - Pages: 6

Free Essay

Discuss the Emergence of the Ebola Pandemic as a Threat to National Security

...to people from wild animals and spreads in the human population through human-to-human transmission. There are currently no licensed Ebola vaccines. As times progress threats to national security are constantly increasing with threats such as climate change, transnational crime, espionage, cyber terrorism and bio-terrorism. This paper is going to look at Ebola as a threat to national security. Weaponization Ebola's exponential spread has rekindled fears that terrorists may seek to turn the virus into a powerful weapon of mass destruction. Ebola virus is classified as a biosafety level 4 agent, as well as a Category A bioterrorism agent by the Center for Disease Control and Prevention. It has the potential to be weaponized for use in biological warfare, National security and infectious disease experts agree the obstacles to a large-scale assault with Ebola are formidable. For starters, a bioterrorist would have to obtain the virus and be able to grow a massive supply in large vats, an extremely costly endeavour. Already there is historical precedent for states trying—and failing—to tap the virus for bioterror. During the Cold War, the Soviet Union was “growing up large amounts of microbes for potential use in bioterrorism. The Soviets attempted to cultivate smallpox, anthrax, tularaemia, botulism and haemorrhagic fevers including...

Words: 1364 - Pages: 6

Premium Essay

Essaysss

...SchoolSafetySchoolSafetySchool SafetySchoolSafetySchoolSafety SchoolSafetySchoolSafetySchool SafetySchoolSafetySchoolSafety SchoolSafetySchoolSafetySchool SafetySchoolSafetySchoolSafety SchoolSafetySchoolSafetySchool SafetySchoolSafetySchoolSafety SchoolSafetySchoolSafetySchool SafetySchoolSafetySchoolSafety SchoolSafetySchoolSafetySchool SafetySchoolSafetySchoolSafety SchoolSafetySchoolSafetySchool...

Words: 322 - Pages: 2

Premium Essay

None

...spills fails to report to the housekeeping about the health hazard that can be caused by the chemical (human error). The housekeeping who is assigned to clean the spill has A maintenance supervisor calls in a temporary worker from third-party recruiting company to handle housekeeping tasks for a day. The temporary worker is assigned the task of mopping the floors. The supervisor assigns him the list of rooms to be cleaned that also includes a research laboratory, where the staff work on chemical and biological agents (situational factor). The supervisor provides required instructions and provides a PPE, which is an overalls and a pair of gloves that is to be used while cleaning the laboratory. The worker follows the instruction and cleans the laboratory but doesn’t dispose off his overalls and gloves properly instead he keeps it back in the room where housekeeping things are stored (human error). Now, anyone that is going to wear it again is at a risk of exposure to biological and chemical agents that could pose a health risks (environmental...

Words: 316 - Pages: 2

Premium Essay

E and K Selection

...where rapid population growth is unimportant as the population is maintained near K Ways to categorize/class species: * By biome or community type * By life history strategy * By life reproductive strategy * By basic approach to the environment What governs the distribution of species? * Evolutionary factors populations separated on to geographically distinct regions have different evolutionary trajectories * Dispersal constraints species may not have reached all suitable areas * Abiotic constraints all species have a range of physical (climatic) or chemical (e.g. substrate type) tolerances * Biotic constraints interactions with other species may exclude or include species from a community * Human influences recently species have been deliberately or inadvertently transported from one region to another The species pool concept...

Words: 1172 - Pages: 5

Free Essay

Job Evaluation

...Job evaluation is defined as a systematic process of determining the relative worth of jobs in relation to other job in order to establish which jobs should be paid more than others within an organization (Snell & Bohlander, 2010). The goal of job evaluation is to achieve internal equity during the salary system formation. In other word, job evaluation means the process of objectively determining the relative worth of jobs within an organization. It involves a systematic study and analysis of job duties and requirements. The evaluation is based on a number of compensable factors. Job evaluation can measure the value of all jobs within an organization and produces a rank order ranging from entry level positions to the most senior positions within an organization. It provides a framework to administer pay. The purpose of job evaluation is to helps established internal equity between various jobs in which wage paid is equal to the value of the job. When establishing the worth of a position, issues of internal equity are considered. Internal equity is defined as fairness in the relationship of a job’s salary range when compared with the salary ranges of similar jobs within the organization. The salary range for a job is considered internally equitable if the salary is commensurate with responsibility level of the position. It is important that a job evaluation is felt to be fair by everyone in the organisation. Effective communication, ongoing consultation and transparency are...

Words: 1428 - Pages: 6