Neurotransmitter
Chemical messengers that transmit signals across synapses from one neuron to another. Different neurotransmitters have different effects—some excite the receiving neuron, others inhibit it.
Used in the Books
This term appears in 3 chapters:
"A neuron has genes for muscle proteins, but those genes are turned off. A muscle cell has genes for neurotransmitter receptors, but they're silent. What makes a cell type is not which genes it has (all the same) but which genes are active (different subsets). This ..."
"Individual neurons have slightly different periods - some 23 hours, some 25 - but when connected, they synchronize through neurotransmitter signals, settling on a collective ~24-hour rhythm. The SCN is a self-sustaining oscillator. **The SCN controls your body through precisely timed sig..."
"Bodies return to baseline, allowing recovery. - Dopamine: Higher than under despotic rule (reward/motivation) - The neurotransmitter of motivation and reward. Prosocial environments create intrinsic motivation rather than fear-driven compliance. - **Reproductive success: More equit..."
Biological Context
Common neurotransmitters include dopamine (reward, motivation), serotonin (mood), acetylcholine (muscle activation), and GABA (inhibition). Imbalances in neurotransmitters are linked to conditions like depression, Parkinson's, and anxiety. Many drugs work by affecting neurotransmitter systems.
Business Application
Organizational neurotransmitters are the signals that trigger action—emails, Slack messages, meeting decisions. Like biological neurotransmitters, they can excite (approve, encourage) or inhibit (reject, delay). Signal overload causes organizational dysfunction just as it does neurologically.