Glutamate

=20 Things You Don't Know About Me =


 * 1. Where I hang out most of the time:** Glutamate hangs out in the central nervous system and is a involved in most aspects of normal brain functioning including cognition, memory and learning.You can also find me in the CNS glial cells.
 * 2. I am responsible for:** Glutamate is responsible for being the most prominent neurotransmitter in the body.
 * 3. I'm most similar to the drug:** I am a lot like G//amma// Aminobutyric Acid or otherwise known as GABA, we are alike because we are both respectively hanging out in the central nervous system.
 * 4. My favorite activity is:** sending brief messages to the recipient neuron.
 * 5. I hate it when:** the messages being sent are overwhelming, as in a stroke or epilepsy.
 * 6. The best thing about receptor sites is:** I am responsible for the communication, memory formation, learning and regulation.
 * 7. When humans don't have enough of me:** If humans don't have enough of me it can lead to long-term potentiation or long-term depression of that cell.
 * 8. In a choice between robots or zombies:** Zombies because I like to play the game memory with them.
 * 9. The sucky thing about being a hormone:** If you have excess amounts of me I become toxic to the neurons.
 * 10. A really strange fact about me:** I was orginally discovered in a neurotransmitter insect study in the 1960's.
 * 11. My favorite food and why:** anything that is spongy and absorbent, so that I don't feel sick after.
 * 12. I once dated a synapse, but it fell apart because:** It didn't work out because he didn't directly absorb everything I had to offer.
 * 13. Sleep is awesome because:** anything that I leave behind gets soaked up, repaired or does damage.
 * 1****4. A neuron walks into a bar and says:** " Don't drink too much tonight, or else your really going to kill me boy!"
 * 15. When humans have too much of me:** Too much of me can lead to abnormally high concentrations of glutamate can lead to over excitation of the receiving nerve cell.
 * 16. My best friend is:** My best friend since I was created is Serotonin, I can't always keep up with her but she is always happy and in a good mood and puts me in a good mood.
 * 17. Some lasting impressions on people:** I am sometimes do great deals of damage. This could happen from mercury poisoning which is seen in stokes and brain ischemia.
 * 18. Favorite phrase:** "You will get smart just being around me ! "
 * 19. Born:** in 1866
 * 20. Parent/Guardian:** Karl Heinrich Leopold Ritthausen, German chemist.

=Status Updates: =

Glutamate is playing the game Memory with my pal Serotonin, so many laughs!

Been crying all day, someone better come with a sponge to clean up my tears.

I enjoy when humans don't beat me up, I like to feel whole.

I am so important, with out me you humans would be lost !

I feel like I was born by accident, not always a good feeling. Feeling a little blue today.

Wish my best friend serotonin would come over and cheer me up today !

= = =Pictures: =  Glutamate Structure



 This drawing shows the binding of the receptors. http://www.bergleslab.com/OngoingProjects.htm



 The affects of glutamate in someone who has ALS.
 http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Fle44IoZAl8/TenfbYeimVI/AAAAAAAAAOs/BP9n8-Qu06k/s1600/ischemic-stroke-glutamate-2.gif

 The two classes of glutamate receptors are ionotropic and metabotropic. http://webvision.med.utah.edu/imageswv/GLU5.jpeg http://vimeo.com/23893192  Muller's cell membrane consist of glutamate and glutamate transporters. http://webvision.med.utah.edu/imageswv/GLU12.jpeg

media type="youtube" key="p7lDaXacuM4" height="349" width="425" http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p7lDaXacuM4&feature=related

Sources:

"Ischemic Stroke Guidelines: Ischemic Stroke Glutamate - Low Carb." //Ischemic Stroke Guidelines - Low Carb//. Web. 15 June 2011. .

"Glutamate - The ALS Association." //Homepage - ALS Association//. Web. 15 June 2011. .

"Glutamate Blockers." //MSG: a Neurotoxic Flavor Enhancer//. Web. 15 June 2011. .

"Glutamic Acid." //Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia//. Web. 15 June 2011. .

"Glutamate and Glutamate Receptors in the Vertebrate Retina – Webvision." //Webvision - The Organization of the Retina and Visual System//. Web. 15 June 2011. .