Neurotransmitters
play an important role in maintaining homeostasis and facilitating
communication or coordination between different parts of the body.
Neurotransmitters are the chemicals that allow the transmission of signals from
one neuron to the next neuron across synapses. The neurotransmitter that is
present in the nervous system is Acetylcholine. Acetylcholine is released by a
nerve cell or neuron and causes muscles to contract, activate pain responses,
and regulates endocrine and REM functions. Several diseases such as Parkinson’s
disease, drugs such as LSD and neurotoxins influence or change the ability of a
neurotransmitter to function.

             The nervous system has three main functions
which are sensory, integration, and motor. The sensory function of the nervous
system involves collecting information from sensory receptors that monitor the
body’s internal and external conditions. The integration function of the
nervous system involves the processing of the many sensory signals that are
passes into the central nervous system at any given time. The motor function of
the nervous system involves stimulating efferent neurons which carry signals
from the gray matter of the central nervous system through the nerves of the
peripheral nervous system to the effector cells. The nervous system consists of
the brain, spinal cord, sensory organs and all the nerves that connect to these
organs with the rest of the body. These organs are responsible for the control
of the body and communication among its parts. There are two parts of the
nervous system the central nervous system and the peripheral nervous system.
The central nervous system consists of the brain and the spinal cord, since the
brain and spinal cord are inside the skull and vertebrae its being protected by
the bones. The central nervous system is where information is evaluated and
where decisions are made. The peripheral nervous system consists of the sensory
nerves and sense organs, they monitor conditions inside and outside of the body
and send the information to the central nervous system. The peripheral nervous
system also has efferent nerves that carry signals from the control center to
the muscles, glands, and organs to regulate their functions. Unlike the central
nervous system, the peripheral nervous system is not protected by any bones.
The central nervous system acts as the control center of the body by providing
its processing, memory, and regulation systems. The central nervous system
takes all sensory information from the body’s sensory receptors to stay aware
of the body’s internal and external conditions. Using this information, the,
the central nervous system makes decisions to maintain the body’s homeostasis.
The peripheral nervous system is help maintain homeostasis in the body because it’s
what connects the brain to the limbs, the peripheral nervous system are the
nerves that carry instructions from your brain to the limbs, they work together
to maintain homeostasis the central nervous system makes the decisions and the
peripheral allows for the decisions to be done. Action potential, is the
reversal of electric polarization of the membrane of a nerve cell or muscle
cell. In the neuron an action potential produces the nerve impulse, and in the
muscle cell it produces the contraction required for all movement. Action
potentials are caused when different ions cross the neuron membrane. What
causes sodium channels to open is a stimulus. There are many more sodium ions
on the outside and so it makes the outside positively charged, and inside of the
neuron is negative, sodium ions rush into the neuron. The neuron becomes more
positive and become depolarized because it has a positive charge. It takes
longer for potassium channels to open, when they do the potassium rushes out of
the cell reversing the depolarization. Sodium channels start to close as well,
in which this causes the action potentials to go back to -70mV which is a
repolarization.

Parkinson’s disease is
one of many things that influence or change the ability of a neurotransmitter
to function. Parkinson’s disease is a disease that affects movement since it is
a disorder in the central nervous system. Parkinson’s disease targets the
neurotransmitter dopamine which is produced in the brain and is a chemical
messages/signals responsible for the body’s movement. The neurotransmitter,
dopamine is an inhibitory neurotransmitter. When dopamine is elevated or low
issues will occur with focusing or affect our motivation. Dopamine is an important
neurotransmitter because its responsible for many functions such as movement,
memory, attention, mood, and even processing pain, and so much more. It is a
chemical released by neurons to send signals to other cells. During Parkinson’s
disease dopamine producing nerve cells begin to die off and this affect the
nervous system because dopamine is an important neurotransmitter that allows
movement and if dopamine producing nerve cells are lacking the nervous system
won’t be able to send these signals to limbs from the brain to cause movement.
Parkinson’s disease affects the body in many ways one of the most important is
movement. Since the dopamine is lacking in the body things such as movement,
memory, mood, motivation, and more, are being affected negatively. Some
symptoms of Parkinson’s disease are tremors, problems with movement, stiffness,
slowed movements, and trouble with balancing and maintaining posture.
 There are many ways to treat it like physical and occupational therapy,
drugs like levodopa/carbidopa, and more. Parkinson’s disease is caused by loss
of neurons that produce dopamine. Symptoms of Parkinson’s disease usually occur
after the age of 50. The reason for its development is still unknown. There is
no cure for Parkinson’s disease but there are treatments like therapy, etc.