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For more information check out these websites!-http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/mouse-man/200904/what-is-dopamine

-http://www.news-medical.net/health/What-is-Dopamine.aspx

DOPAMINEDecember 2011

Neurotransmitters:allow the transmition of signals from one neuron to another across a synapses. They are also found at axon endings of motor neurons where they stimulate muscle fibers.

WHAT MAKES YOU HAPPY?...At the microscopic level, Dopamine is the true cause of your happiness. You can thank Dopamine for sending that signal to your brain that makes you happy for whatever it may be.

Dopamine is a neurotransmitter that is present in regions of the brain that regulate movement, emotion, motivation, and pleasure. It stabilizes brain activity, regulates flow of information to other parts of the brain and controls movements. Consuming large amounts of dopamine can lead to addictions because dopamine is the happiness and pleasure a person feels after certain activities, such as eating food or taking drugs. There are three main functions of dopamine, which are movement, pleasure and motivations, and cognition and frontal cortex function. Movement is a crucial part of the basal ganglia motor loop. This means that it is critical to the way our brain controls movement. Pleasure and motivation is the main function. It is directly connected with the pleasure system. Dopamine provides feelings of enjoyment and reinforcement which motivates us to continue doing certain activities. Also, the neurotransmitter is released when a pleasurable activity is expected to happen. This is when we are faced with the question of does dopamine become present when we desire something, or does the pleasure come after this product

is consumed? The third function is cognition and frontal cortex function which means dopamine controls the flow of information to other parts of the brain, mainly the frontal lobes. It can cause a decline in memory, problem solving, and attention. Also, neurocognitive functions suffer. Dopamine is an inhibitory and excitatory neurotransmitter meaning when it finds its way to its receptor sites, it can block the tendency of that neuron to fire or allow it to fire. It’s primary hormone function is to regulate the release of prolactin from the pituitary gland. Dopamine affects the body in many areas. Internally, it plays a role in the central nervous system. It also acts on the sympathetic nervous system where it affects blood pressure and increases heart rate. High levels of dopamine restrict blood vessels in the kidney which will cause them to stop functioning. Reduced dopamine concentrations in the prefrontal cortex are thought to contribute to ADD. Too much Dopamine can lead to paranoia or schizophrenia. Dopamine is linked to medical problems like Parkinsons.

Want to know more??? Check out

this video on youtube!!!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZjH8_hHtumo

By Josh Stegman, Jenny Wilson, Erin McLaughlin

Some interesting facts:-Dopamine raises your libido, the more dopamine you release, the more sexually aroused you are likely to be. -Dopamine helps us stay awake when we feel sleepy. -Eating chocolate releases dopamine and serotonin.

Medications that interact with Dopamine:-Norpramin-Zelapar-Cocaine-Adapin-Carbex