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Chem 1010 Semester Paper

Neurochemistr
y: The
Chemical
Mind
Andrea Jasmin Reyes

Medinger
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Abstract

Chemistry of the brain is a term that can serve to describe a plentiful range of chemical

reactions and interactions in the brain. The brain communicates with itself by sending out

chemical information from one neuron, or nerve cell to another. Brain chemistry is the sum of all

the chemical messaging that takes place in the brain, which allows it to carry out its daily

functions, such as generating movement, speaking, thinking, listening, regulating the systems of

the body, and countless others. The human brain is a veritable hub of chemical interactions and

processes. One process that has great importance is the transmission of electrical messages along

neurons. These messages form the back bone of the central nervous system. This essay will talk

about more specifically the role of neurotransmitters at the molecular level. The interactions that

these neurotransmitters undergo form the basis of a lot of interactions in chemistry. One of these

fundamental interactions is the cation- interaction, an intermolecular force that exists between

cations and - systems. Although there are many neurotransmitters that are used within the body,

I will discuss the most commonly known neurotransmitter, Acetylcholine.

Every day, researchers are learning more about the chemicals that the neurons in the

human brain use to communicate with each other. They now know that all the feelings and

emotions that people experience are produced through chemical changes in the brain. The rush of

happiness that a person feels at getting a good grade on a test, winning the lottery, or falling in

love occur through complex chemical processes. So are emotions, such as sadness, grief, and

stress. When the brain tells the body to do something, such as to sit down or run, this also sets a

chemical process in motion. These "chemical communicators," or neurotransmitters, are the

"words" that make up the language of the brain and the entire nervous system.
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Everything psychological is biological. One way to understand how the mind works is to

look at the chemistry of the brain, by beginning to look at the brain at its simplest level: the neuron.

Neurons or nerve cells are the building blocks that comprise our nervous system. Neurons share the

same basic systems as our other cells but they have electrochemical properties that allows them to

transmit messages to each other. Every brain is made up of billions of neurons that can be classified

into several different types. These neurons are different sizes, ranging from less than a millimeter

long to other being the length of your own leg. However, every neuron is composed of three basic

parts: the soma, the dendrites, and the axon. The soma is the cell body that acts as the neurons life

support containing cell structures like the nucleus, DNA, ribosomes, and mitochondria. The branch-

like dendrites receive messages from other neurons and transfer the information back to the soma.

The long cable-like axon transmits electrical impulses from the neuron cell body out to other

neurons. Because of the importance of the axon it can sometimes be protected in a layer of fatty

tissue called the myelin sheath which insulates the electrical wire like axon and makes it appear like a

bunch of tiny finger sausages hooked together. Neurons transmit signals when stimulated by sensory

input or triggered by neighboring neurons. The dendrites pick up the signal which causes the neuron

to activate a chemical to shoot an electrical charge down the axon shaft towards another neuron. The

point of contact between neurons are called synaptic gaps which are only a millionth of an inch apart.

The chemicals then jump the tiny gap to reach the neighboring neuron. These chemicals are called

neurotransmitters.

The membrane found around neurons are made of an intracellular fluid called cytosol which

have unique ionic compositions:

The extracellular fluid (ECF) contains high concentrations of sodium ions (Na+) and

chloride ions (Cl-), whereas the cytosol membrane contains high concentrations of

potassium ions (K+) and negatively charged proteins (Martini).

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The cells passive and active transport system causes an unequal distribution of charges and

chemicals. Negatively charged proteins inside a cell cannot cross the membrane so potassium (K+)

has it easiest to diffuse out of the cell through the potassium channel. Sodium (Na+) on the other

hand has a harder time passing the membrane. Because the intercellular concentration of potassium is

high and the ions move out the cell through an open potassium channel. The movement is caused by

a chemical gradient which at the same time pushes the sodium ions into the cell.

Similarly the electrochemical gradient on the specific ions potassium and sodium work in the

same way. Because the internal concentration of K+ is so high and the chemical gradient wants to

push the ions out, but the electrical gradient resists that force by only allowing certain quantities of

the ions to cross the membrane, the middle threshold is called the equilibrium potential for that ion,

or the electrochemical gradient. This keeps a balance of ions within the neuron and outside of it at all

times. Potential energy is stored within the cell but when any stimuli increases the permeability of the

cell membrane to sodium or potassium ions there will be a sudden rush of the chemical in the brain.

After an event like depolarization (rapid influx of Na+) or repolarization (loss of K+) has occurred

the sodium-potassium exchange pump returns both the internal and external ion concentrations back

to normal levels.

Neurotransmitters are chemicals that form an integral part of the mechanism at the synapses

of neurons. Their roles are to act as messengers between neurons at the synapse. Synapses, or the

small gap between neighboring neurons, also works is terms of electric communications involving

physical contact between cells, or chemically, involving a neurotransmitter. Chemical synapses are

much more complex than electrical synapses and more abundant (Martini). At a chemical synapse the

release of a neurotransmitter binds it to the post synaptic cell membrane. This results in a temporary

change in the permeability of the cell membrane but can also have big effects on the cell. Many drugs

affect the brain by stimulating receptors that target the activity of certain transmitters. These drugs
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can affect a persons perception, motor control, and emotional state. Acetylcholine (Ach) is an

excitatory neurotransmitter which causes depolarization in the postsynaptic membrane but a

hyperpolarization in neuromuscular cells in the heart.

The Chemical structure for acetylcholine

Cation- interactions are that of a charged cation with a -system, for instance the system of

Benzene, and a Sodium ion. These interactions are non-covalent, and in some cases are as strong as

hydrogen bonds. A quadrupole consists of two dipoles orientated in opposite directions, end to end,

so that there is no net dipole on the molecule. (Eric V. Anslyn).

Acetylcholine leaves the neuron at the axon and moves across the synaptic gap, and binds to

Tryptophan at the binding site on the proteins. The binding of ACh causes a change proteins

structure, opening pores within the ion channel to allow a flow of ions from outside. The movement

of ions into the neighboring neuron cases an action potential. This action potential forms the basis of

message carrying along neurons from the brain to the muscles, essential for majority of muscular

functions within the human body (Eric V. Anslyn). The two molecules form a cation- interaction

between the positively charged nitrogen on Acetylcholines quaternary structure and the -system on

Tryptophan.
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This brain chemistry, although seemingly

Showing the Cation- interaction between Acetylcholine and Tryptophan.

harmless at a molecular level can have big impacts on our behavior. In a case study, 10 th grade Hector

had been experiencing severe depression since middle school. Hector started seeing a psychiatrist

who tried to help him talk about what he was feeling. Based on their meetings the psychiatrist

decided to prescribe a type of medication known as an antidepressant. This medication increases the

amount of a brain neurotransmitter called serotonin which is associated with feelings of well-being

and control. The medicine, a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI), works by preventing

neurons from reabsorbing the chemical messenger serotonin once it is released into the brain. As a

result, there is more serotonin available, and this sometimes helps alleviate the symptoms of

depression. If Hector's depression were being caused by too little serotonin, the medication likely

would help him.

In conclusion the importance of understanding how our brain works chemically can help us

learn how to treat and even prevent neural disorders. The brain is an extremely complicated piece of

meat that really breaks down to simple chemical processes we should study to better understand our

own behavior.
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Works Cited

Martini, Frederic H. "Neural Tissue." Fundamentals of Anatomy & Physiology. Pearson, 2015.

391-410. Textbook. 2016.

Novitt-Moreno, Anne. How Your Brain Works. Emeryville, CA: ZiffDavis Press, 1995.

Eric V. Anslyn, Modern Physical Organic Chemistry, University Science Books, USA, 2006.