Written By: Shraddha Rupavate | Published : June 24, 2014 4:04 PM IST
Every time you read something about the brain or the nervous system, the term 'neurotransmitter' seems to be present. But do you know what it actually means?
'Neuro' refers to brain cells (neurons) and 'transmitter' refers to substances that transmit signals. So, neurotransmitter is a term used for chemicals in the brain that transmit signals or messages from the brain throughout the body. In simple words, your brain uses neurotransmitters for every function that your organs perform. They tell your heart to pump, your stomach to digest food and your lungs to breathe.
Neurotransmitters are stored at the end of the brain cells. Whenever the brain receives a stimulus, these stored chemicals are released into the gap between two neurons, to activate the next neuron in line. This is how a message gets transferred from the brain to the rest of your body. There are two types of neurotransmitters: excitatory and inhibitory.
Excitatory neurotransmitters: They stimulate the brain and keep it active all the time. With lower levels of these neurotransmitters you're likely to experience daydreaming or problems in focusing at work and lowered energy. An increased level, on the other hand, can cause anxiety and lead to you being more alert and be in an elevated mental state.
Inhibitory neurotransmitters: They do not stimulate the brain but are required to balance out the effect of excitatory neurotransmitters.
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