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Introduction
Several aspects of neurochemistry have
been previously examined in this text, including the
synthesis and degradation of several neurotransmitters
and the role of various ions in impulse conduction and
muscle contraction. Still, we have not looked at all
into the chemical activity within the brain and spinal
cord. Here we will examine the activity of various
neuroactive chemicals in the brain, including the
catecholarnines, indoleamines, amino acids,
neuropeptides, prostaglandins, and others as well as
energy metabolism within the brain itself.
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Brain
characteristics
The brain, like other organs of the body,
requires an adequate vascular system in order to supply
it with nutrients and oxygen and to remove metabolic
wastes and carbon dioxide. Unlike most other organs,
however, capillary exchange of these and other materials
in the brain is complicated by the presence of a
transport-limiting system, the
blood-brain barrier. |
