Serotonin
Serotonin, also called enteramine, is a so-called biogenic amine, which is both a hormone and a neurotransmitter. As such, it plays an important role in the central nervous system as well as in the nervous system of the intestine and in its function as a hormone in the cardiovascular system. Its name is derived from the words serum and tonus (tension).One of its effects can be deduced from this, namely that as part of the blood serum it has an effect on the tension of the blood vessels and thus on blood pressure.
As a messenger substance in the nervous system, it is primarily known as a mood enhancer. This is mainly due to its influence on appetite, sex drive and our psychological well-being. A deficiency of this neurotransmitter thus causes depression, among other things.
It is also involved in almost all other brain functions, such as pain perception, our sleep-wake rhythm and temperature regulation. It exercises both inhibitory and excitatory functions in the communication between neurons. The serotonergic pathways of the nervous system, named after him, are distributed throughout the entire brain and interconnected with other neurotransmitters in a complex system.
Acetylcholine
Our nervous system can be roughly divided into three different sections – the central nervous system, which includes our brain and spinal cord, the autonomic nervous system, which influences organ functions such as the heartbeat, breathing and our digestion, and the peripheral nervous system, which enables us to perform muscle work and sense touch, among other things. Acetylcholine is by far the most important transmitter in the peripheral nervous system and is responsible, for example, for transmitting signals from the nerve cords of the spinal cord to the muscles. In the autonomic nervous system, it is the most important neurotransmitter besides norepinephrine.
Its importance in the central nervous system becomes particularly apparent when it is present in concentrations that are too low. This is the case with Alzheimer’s disease, for example. In Alzheimer’s disease, numerous neurons in the cerebrum die, but it is mainly acetylcholine-producing nerve cells that are affected.
The resulting deficiency can be treated with medication, at least in part, by administering so-called acetylcholinesterase inhibitors. Since the enzyme acetylcholinesterase is responsible for the breakdown of acetylcholine, a higher concentration of the messenger substance in the synaptic cleft can be achieved and the symptoms of dementia alleviated. However, this is only one example of the importance of acetylcholine in medicine. Various drugs that interfere with the acetylcholine system are used in ophthalmology, but also in other medical fields.