ELI5: Explain Like I'm 5

Amino acid neurotransmitter

Okay kiddo, so inside your brain, there are little things called neurons that help messages get sent from one part of your brain to another. Sometimes, these neurons need to talk to each other really quickly, and that's where amino acid neurotransmitters come in!

Amino acids are like little building blocks that your body uses to make proteins. But some amino acids, like glutamate and GABA, can also act as neurotransmitters. Picture them as tiny messengers that jump from one neuron to another, helping important information get where it needs to go.

Glutamate is like the happy-go-lucky messenger - it tells other neurons to get excited and start firing more messages. GABA, on the other hand, is more like the chill messenger - it tells neurons to calm down and stop firing so many messages.

These amino acid neurotransmitters are really important for things like learning, memory, and keeping our brain balanced. But just like everything else in our bodies, they need to be in the right balance! Too much glutamate can cause our brain to get overexcited and lead to things like seizures or stroke. And not enough GABA can lead to anxiety or even epilepsy.

So in a nutshell, amino acid neurotransmitters are little messengers that help our neurons talk to each other really quickly, and they're important for keeping our brains happy and healthy!
Related topics others have asked about: