Control Mechanisms in the Nervous SystemAbel Lajtha The explosive accumulation of new knowledge in the biological sciences in the last decades has advanced our understanding of the basic mechanisms that underlie most biological phenomena. These advances, however, have not been uniform but have varied considerably among the different biological problems. In some cases, e.g., biochemical genetics, radical advances have been made which have changed our ideas and our approaches. In other cases, even with work which has yielded much detailed new knowledge, our under standing of basic mechanisms remains very inadequate. Among the lines of work that have not yet led to dramatic conceptual advances is the problem of control of biological activities. This problem is, of course, basic both to any full understanding of life as a whole, and to any real understanding of its most minute phenomena. Indeed, the myriad of biological activities that we can observe by direct or indirect means are all under the sway of most exquisitely precise mechanisms. Any malfunctioning of these mechanisms has serious consequences, not only for the particular function itself, but for all the related and interlinked activities. |
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5-hydroxytryptamine acetylcholine action activity adenosine adrenal adrenergic amine oxidase amino acid assay ATPase Axelrod Biochem Biol Biophys biosynthesis blood calcium catecholamines central nervous system cerebral ChAc Chem choline compounds concentration cortex distribution DOPA decarboxylase dopamine drugs effect endogenous enzymatic enzyme extracts fluid formation fraction function GABA glucose guinea pig Hd decarboxylase histamine histidine histidine decarboxylase hormone hypothalamus increase inhibition inhibitors injection insulin ions iproniazid levels liver mammalian mast cells mechanism membrane metabolism metabolites methylhistamine microsomal monoamine oxidase muscle myosin nerve endings neural Neurochem neurons neurosecretory norepinephrine oxidation peptide perfused peripheral Pharmacol pharmacological phosphate physiological pineal pituitary plasma Proc prostaglandins protein purified rabbit rat brain reaction receptors release reserpine Scand serotonin specific stimulation studies subcellular substances substrate sympathetic synaptic synthesis Therap tion tissue transmitter transport tryptamine tryptophan turnover tyramine tyrosine hydroxylase Udenfriend uptake vasopressin vesicles vitro vivo