Brain chemistry

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The study of the chemical composition and processes of the brain and the effects of chemicals on it.

Trouble with the brain is often caused by chemical imbalances.

[edit] Brain Chemicals

Dopamine
Function: brain energy, or power.

GABA
Function: brain rhythm, or calm

Acetylcholine
Function: Brain speed, or memory

Serotonin
Function: brain balance, or mood

Endorphine
Function: nerve de-sensitizer, the bodys own 'morphine'.

Brain Chemistry, and the balances and imbalances play a very important role in how our brains function. How the brain tells other parts of the body what to do, when to do it, and why.

In the brain, there are close to 1 TRILLION nerve cells or neurons. These neurons transmit and receive information from other cells in the form of electrical impulses, or action potentials, along a cable-like axon to other nerves. Your Brain Processes 400 Billion Bits of information per second, but we are only aware of 2000 bits of information. This gives us a hint of what potential lies within all of us.

At the end of the axon, the message is then passed on to other cells at different points of contact called synapses, where the electrical message causes the release of a chemical neurotransmitter that travels across a small gap to another neuron. The neurotransmitter then activates a receptor cell on this second neuron and contributes to form another action potential, repeating the cycle. Exactly how many action potentials there truly are is still unknown. Each neuron may have about 1000 such synapses and thus can integrate information received from many other cells.

Brain chemistry, and the inner workings of the brain have been a fascination of mine for quite sometime now. In one recent study, a woman weighing not even 120 pounds, who lifted a full size truck, turning it on its side! Why? In simple terms, her brain told her to, without her even knowing it! Without remembering how afterwards! Her brain pieced together just the right chemical make up, activated exactly the right receptor cells to create the right action in her body! Why? Because her child was pinned underneath this truck, and her brain did what it had to do to save him! But even though she was the one who did this, she is still not fully aware of how she did this. How her brain was able to do this. She said it was almost as if, it were someone else doing it, like she was just watching it happen on the sideline. It is my quest to learn how it all fits together. Which actions cause which reactions. Its all there, in the brain. All we need to figure out is how it works! Then, it is believed, the possibilities are endless!!

We are only scratching the surface of our potential as human beings! More will be adding to this in time as we learn more about the inner workings of the brain and its chemistry. Thank you for your time!

-Hank Mele

[edit] Chemicals known to impact brain function

Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and all cannabinoids

Methylphenidate (Ritalin)

Alcohol (especially Absinthe)

Caffeine

Di hydrogen Monoxide (Commonly known as Bottled Water)

Heroin

Methamphetamine

PCP

LSD, floods the brain with serotonin, causing messages from nerve endings to be redirected from their intended synapses to somewhere else. For instance signals from the ear (hearing) could end up in the visual cortex, the result would be 'seeing sounds'. Likewise, visual information could end up in the taste area of the brain giving one the sensation of 'tasting colors'.

Beta-Phenethylamine

Ketchup, Stimulates the taste center.

Diphenhydramine (benadryl -- induces sleep)