Difference between serotonin dopamine and endorphins

[Yobytruk]

Hey guys, what exactly is each of these three elements? all I know is they all have something to do with happiness.. would love someone to elaborate furtherly

 

[DL-ark]

From what I understand endorphins cause a release of dopamine via the mu-opioid receptor.

Dopamine is related with happiness due to it's effect on the reward system of the brain, in fact I believe they are the primary neurotransmitter involved with reward.

Serotonin can cause releases of dopamine but is also associated with happiness as it seems to be the neurotransmitter responsible for many emotions, and people with depression are shown to have a lack of serotonin.

 

[Black]

From what I understand endorphins cause a release of dopamine via the mu-opioid receptor.

Dopamine is related with happiness due to it's effect on the reward system of the brain, in fact I believe they are the primary neurotransmitter involved with reward.

Serotonin can cause releases of dopamine but is also associated with happiness as it seems to be the neurotransmitter responsible for many emotions, and people with depression are shown to have a lack of serotonin.

there is some recent research (been told by a friend who read the original paper, so i can't find it now) that it looks like dopamine is mainly responsible for behaviour changes (especially repetitive behaviour/addiction, and it is released even when no euphoria occurs), while any happiness resulting from downstream endorphin activation.
serotonin released can also cause endorphin release.


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so basically all three neurotransmitter systems are interconnected any we have no idea if one is responsible for euphoria, if all three play a role or if happiness comes from some downstream activation circuit activated by all three.
what we do know is that all three are responsible for a wide range of activities throughout the brain (sometimes having more of one neurotransmitter acting on receptors in one part of the brain even has the opposing effect of having more of the same neurotransmitter act on the same subtype of receptors in a different area.) and (at least for serotonin and endorphins, dunno really about dopamine) in the rest of the body.
serotonin is an amino acid derivative and is mostly involved in mood, temperature regulation, perception, digestion, ....
dopamine is also an amino acid derivative and and involved in reward, expectation, mood, motor control, ...
endorphins are peptides respinsible for pain control, mood, digestion, ....

but have a look at wikipedia for a more complete description of what functions these compounds fulfill in our bodies.

 

[ebola?]

Happiness can't be reduced to a set of global neurotransmitter levels. I find it likely that conscious experience emerges of the overall activity of more far-ranging, recursively organized feedback loops. Neurotransmitters tend to either modulate the behavior of these circuits or mediate a given circuit's functioning in specific anatomical areas. People tend to focus on DA, 5ht, and endorphins due to their modulating activities. DA is also of note due to the key role it plays in the mesolimbic reward pathway that plays a key role in modulating motivation (and even implementing it in some sense).

ebola

 

[DL-ark]

^ Yes, I was talking about the mesolimbic pathway. I think its odd to say that endorphins alone cause euphoria. Mu opioid agonists do not feel entirely euphoric until either a high dose of a agonist is used or an opioid agonist with quick absorption is used. Even when many of their other psychological effects are felt. Of course endorphins are vastly different from morphine derivatives in structure but its the same receptor.

 

[Zeds(NCO2CH2CH3)2]

I'm not going to elaborate much right now but what makes homosapiens unique Is the ability to compile and recall short term memory into long term working memory. So what right? I personally feel as if many processes in the brain are working toward this concept of 'task or behavior derived autonomic compilation'

In summary the brain attempts to rapidly compile and relate memory and events from different sources to effect further future outcomes. What?

The brain appears to be evolving the ability to recall and use logically derived fight or flight response by modifying levels different chemical agents-whose rates of usage are being rapidly epigenetically reallocated. Say what?

Let us look at the concept of fear conditioning in basic definition it is the ability of an organism to predict adverse events. Drugs inhibit or disinhibiting this in various ways, even excess Dopamine and other biomarkers see 'schizophrenia fear conditioning'.

How is anything this related to the topic at hand? In basic definition Dopamine Serotonin and endorphins appear to be the' brains' novel way of using high value intermediate effectors to modulate fear response and other behavioral response in our daily lives to theoretically 'predict better outcomes' for survival in whatever derived society. Effectively neuroepigenetic complacement evolution.

Now that could be your how but ask me why this is the way it is and I don't know, all I can say is all organisms evolve some pathways further for beneficial usage.. In questionable ways.. I. E all of the animal Kingdom squids lions Tigers oh my .......
Zedsdead