Neurotransmission is the process by which neurotransmitters are fired from one neuron to another. It’s important that you can explain how varying levels of neurotransmitters in the nervous system (e.g. in the brain) can have an impact on our behaviour.
Here’s a quick preview of neurotransmission:
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cNaFnRKwpFk]
You should be able to outline the causes of neurotransmission and the changes of neurotransmitter levels as a result (e.g. the use of drugs changes levels of neurotransmission, or perhaps diet reducing tryptophan) and how this has an effect on behaviour.
Here’s a cool website that you can use to learn more about drugs and behaviour. Here’s another cool website called “Mouse Party” that you can use if you want to learn more about how drugs affect neurotransmission and why this influences specific behaviours.
[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p5zFgT4aofA&w=420&h=315]Here is another video that can be used as empirical evidence (if you use details in the study explained) to show the effects of neurotransmission on addictive behaviour. Read the revision textbook pg 8 for information on dopamine and addictive behaviour.
[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=axrywDP9Ii0]This is another great video that further explains dopamine and addiction. It also shows how serotonin can interact with dopamine as well, and the subsequent influence on behaviour.
[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K3gfzfqEre0] [youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l7AWnfFRc7g]
Travis Dixon is an IB Psychology teacher, author, workshop leader, examiner and IA moderator.