Thursday, June 20, 2013

Serotonin: What is ( its relationship with mood )


Serotonin: What is ( its relationship  with mood )

Info source 

Serotonin is a neurotransmitter - this is a chemical substance that transmits nerve impulses across the space between nerve cells or neurons. We call these spaces synapses.

Serotonin plays an important part in the regulation of learning, mood, sleep and vasoconstriction (constriction of blood vessels). 

Experts say serotonin also might have a role in anxiety, migraine, vomiting and appetite.

Alterations in serotonin levels in the brain may affect mood. 

Some antidepressant medications affect the action of serotonin, i.e. they are used to treat depression.

About 80% of our body's total serotonin is in the gut, in the enterochromaffin cells - where it regulates intestinal movements. The rest is synthesized in the serotonergic neurons in the central nervous system.

For some types of cells, serotonin is a growth factor - it may have a role in wound healing.

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