e gap where an axon from one cell transmits impulses, by the use of neurotransmitters, to the dendrite or cell surface of another neuron. These synapses fall into the three categories, which include excitatory, inhibitory, and modulatory. A healthy human is born with about ten thousand million neurons. These neurons will be connected with up to ten thousand other neurons; receiving rapid pulses from a connected cells axon through its own dendrite will activate a cell. When the cell is stimulated, its axon will conduct signals away from the cell using neurotransmitters, and creating a chain reaction. The signal a neuron transmits can be altered slightly, because the cell has the ability to respond to stimuli at strengths different than how it was received. Additionally, the effects of a neurotransmitter is dependant on what type of neuron and dendrite it comes into contact with, as opposed to merely following its normal chemical nature. For this reason, it is hypothesized that there are different transmitters for each kind of receptor. Neurotransmitters are messengers, forwarding impulses from cell to cell, using its axon, and chemicals to stimulate another neurons dendrite. Over fifty different neurotransmitters have been isolated and identified. The chemicals are contained in little sacs, called synaptic vesicles, located at the end of each neuron. The compounds that are considered to be most important are serotonin, noradrenaline, and dopamine.In 1988, Eli Lillys discovery, the drug fluoxetine, started to be prescribed under the commercial name, Prozac. As a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor, it enhances serotonin levels by plugging up the nerve cells that absorb the chemical, preventing it from exiting the brain. A large percentage of the population found it effective in raising mood levels and lowering anxiety, creating a feeling of tranquility and optimism. For these reasons, serotonin is dubbed the feel-good neuro...
