chemistry

Neurochemical

Neurochemical is a chemistry topic covered in the lgStudy science library. This page brings together a partial reference excerpt, illustrations, worked examples, real-world applications and a short study plan, so you can understand Neurochemical rather than just read about it. In short: A neurochemical is a small organic molecule or peptide that participates in neural activity. The science of neurochemistry studies the functions of neurochemicals.

Key takeaways

Neurochemical belongs to chemistry; place it in that map before memorising details.
Learn the definition first, then one example that makes the definition concrete.
Connect Neurochemical to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
Reproduce the core statement of Neurochemical from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

A neurochemical is a small organic molecule or peptide that participates in neural activity. The science of neurochemistry studies the functions of neurochemicals.

Prominent neurochemicals

Neurotransmitters and neuromodulators Glutamate is the most common neurotransmitter. Most neurons secrete with glutamate or GABA. Glutamate is excitatory, meaning that the release of glutamate by one cell usually causes adjacent cells to fire an action potential. (Note: Glutamate is chemically identical to the MSG commonly used to flavor food.) GABA is an example of an inhibitory neurotransmitter. Monoamine neurotransmitters: Dopamine is a monoamine neurotransmitter. It plays a key role in the functioning of the limbic system, which is involved in emotional function and control. It also is involved in cognitive processes associated with movement, arousal, executive function, body temperature regulation, and pleasure and reward, and other processes. Norepinephrine, also known as noradrenaline, is a monoamine neurotransmitter that is involved in arousal, pain perception, executive function, body temperature regulation, and other processes. Epinephrine, also known as adrenaline, is a monoamine neurotransmitter that plays in fight-or-flight response, increases blood flow to muscles, output of the heart, pupil dilation, and glucose. Serotonin is a monoamine neurotransmitter that plays a regulatory role in mood, sleep, appetite, body temperature regulation, and other processes. Histamine is a monoamine neurotransmitter that is involved in arousal, pain, body temperature regulation, and appetite. Trace amines act as neuromodulators in monoamine neurons via binding to TAAR1. Acetylcholine assists motor function and is involved in memory. Nitric oxide functions as a neurotransmitter, despite being a gas. It is not grouped with the other neurotransmitters because it is not released in the same way. Endocannabinoids act in the endocannabinoid system to control neurotransmitter release in a host of neuronal tissues, including the hippocampus, amygdala, basal ganglia, and cerebellum. Eicosanoids act as neuromodulators via the Arachidonic acid cascade.

Neuropeptides Orexins (-A and -B) are involved in a number of cognitive processes, including appetite, arousal, and reward, among many others. Neurohypophysial hormones: Arginine-vasopressin Oxytocin regulates social cognition (e.g., trust and pair-bonding) and modulates maternal behavior. Endogenous opioids: Dynorphins Endorphins Endomorphins Enkephalins Neurotrophic factors are biomolecules – nearly all of which are peptides or small proteins – that support the growth, survival, and differentiation of both developing and mature neurons. Examples of notable neurotrophic factors include: Insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1) Glial cell line-derived neurotrophic factor (GDNF) Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) Brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) Nerve growth factor Neurotrophin-3 Neurotrophin-4 Ephrins Neuregulins

See also Molecule Biomolecule Macromolecule Supermolecule Neurotransmitter

References

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with Neurochemical

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what Neurochemical claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In chemistry, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to Neurochemical before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about Neurochemical ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of Neurochemical

In research: Neurochemical appears in chemistry research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry: Engineering practice reuses Neurochemical in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom: Neurochemical is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics Neurochemistry, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for Neurochemical outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.

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How to study Neurochemical in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what Neurochemical means in your own words.
Compare your version with the excerpt and mark what you missed.
Work through the three examples above with pen and paper.
Explain Neurochemical out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is Neurochemical in simple terms?

A neurochemical is a small organic molecule or peptide that participates in neural activity. The science of neurochemistry studies the functions of neurochemicals.

Why does Neurochemical matter?

Because it connects several chemistry ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study Neurochemical?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on Neurochemical.