When a nerve impulse arrives at a serotonin (5-HT) nerve terminal, 5-HT is released from synaptic vesicles into the synaptic cleft. 5-HT molecules bind to their receptors on the post-synaptic membrane and the nerve impulse is propagated or inhibited, depending on the specific receptor. 5-HT molecules are then released from the receptors and taken back into the nerve terminal via the 5-HT re-uptake transporter. 5-HT is degraded by monoamine oxidase (MAO) and catechol-O-methyltransferase (COMT).
Related content
This slide deck reviews schizophrenia trajectories from high-risk states to long-term outcomes, highlighting prognostic factors, relapse, recovery, treatment adherence, and functional outcomes.
The olfactory system detects airborne odor molecules in the nasal cavity and transmits this information to the olfactory bulb. From there, signals are relayed to several brain regions involved in smell perception, memory, emotion, and behaviour.
The gustatory system detects taste stimuli on the tongue and relays this information through brainstem and thalamic pathways to the gustatory cortex.