Introduction I have chosen the chemistry of happiness. I thought I might learn something helpful. Why try to reword something that’s already been so beautifully said? "Each of us- in the face of all our daily struggles- has the choice. Are we going to become bitter, are we going to become callous, are we going to become mean? Or are we going to make the incredibly difficult choice to remain open to others, to remain open to love." Composition of ... The chemistry of happiness is simply the chemicals in our bodies that alter our moods. Neurotransmitters in our brains allow us to feel emotions such as happiness. Enzymes break down certain chemicals which result in us feeling sad. Main Chemicals, Compounds, Components Happiness:
Depression (Monoamine Oxidase):
Background Research Happiness: Serotonin eases tension. Dopamine and norepinephrine allow us to think and act more quickly. Food increases the level of these chemicals in our brain. Complex carbohydrates increase serotonin and proteins increase dopamine and norepinephrine. Depression: People who are depressed have a higher level of monoamine oxidase, which is an enzyme that breaks down chemicals like serotonin. People with depression, on average, have 34% higher levels of monoamine oxidase (MAO) than normal people. Monoamine oxidase is made up of flavin, adenosine, and nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide. It is closely linked with depression which is the fourth leading cause of death and disability. Resources http://www.wcmhar.org/tch.html Initial research. What chemicals in our brain give us happiness http://www.chemistrydaily.com/chemistry/Seratonin Chemical formula for seratonin http://psychcentral.com/news/2006/11/09/depressions-chemical-imbalance-explained/398.html What causes depression http://www.news-medical.net/health/Dopamine-Biochemistry.aspx Chemical makeup of dopamine http://pubchem.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/summary/summary.cgi?cid=439260 Chemical formula of Norepinephrine http://www.acnp.org/g4/gn401000046/ch046.html Chemical make up of monomine oxidase, an enzyme that breaks down things like seratonin http://www.chemindustry.com/chemicals/049059.html Chemical formula for flavin http://www.chemindustry.com/chemicals/04602.html Chemical formula for adenosine http://chemistry.about.com/od/factsstructures/ig/Chemical-Structures---N/NADH.-eU9.htm Chemical formula for Nicotinamide Adenine Dinucleotide Chemical Structure http://www.integrativehealthreview.com/also-found-in/eating-nutrition-also-found-in/serotonin-why-it%E2%80%99s-important-and-how-you-can-boost-its-levels-in-your-brain/- Other ways to produce serotonin http://www.livestrong.com/article/194748-how-do-i-increase-dopamine-levels-naturally/ Increasing levels of dopamine http://addiction-dirkh.blogspot.com/2007/09/serotonin-and-dopamine-primer.html Dopamine and serotonin information Provides information on monoamine oxidase. The psychology. About the Author  Molly Buchanan is a senior at Billings Senior High. She enjoys art, music, and science. Next year she will be attending the University of Montana . |
|
|
*All content and webpages on this website were created by High School students. Please be advised that the content, sources and writing conventions are the work of the students and have not been verified*
Find more school science projects, experiments, lesson plans and demonstrations at BealsScience.com
