Acetylcholine Lab Report

Words: 954
Pages: 4

Acetylcholine is most commonly known as the neurotransmitter active in constriction, but it also has secondary effects on mood. Higher concentrations of acetylcholine have been associated with anxious or depressive behaviors. Nicotine’s chemical structure is similar that of acetylcholine’s and has the ability to block the receptors that accept the acetylcholine molecules. This implies that—at least temporarily—nicotine reverses the mood effects of acetylcholine. While the exact mechanism of these disorders is likely complex, this is thought to be the reasoning behind the increase use of tobacco in those with these disorders. The increase of these nicotinic acetylcholine receptors have been implicated in the mechanism of anxiety, depression and schizophrenia. Prior work under Dr. Schulz has demonstrated that prenatal stress in mothers has the ability to increase the amount of these receptors in offspring in the hippocampus. This implies that prenatal stress has the ability to increase anxious behaviors in offspring. She has also demonstrated that dietary changes, however—such as increasing select vitamins like choline—can mitigate the intensity of these anxious behaviors. This …show more content…
Schulz has taken a personal interest in ensuring that I feel comfortable with the material. Once a week, the lab meets as a group to go over both the upcoming events for the lab—maybe neighboring labs who are welcoming new members or the spectrum of speakers Dr. Schulz has scheduled for us to meet—and during this time she goes over our assigned articles or quizzes us over our “elevator talk” for the conferences she’s planning for us. But rather than exuding a simply managerial tone, she has developed a motherly atmosphere in which we all feel comfortable to point out the pieces of our projects that are more obscure. She has created an environment for her lab workers that lets them know how much she wants them to