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Neurotransmitter Pathways

Meaning

Specific, organized anatomical and functional routes in the brain and nervous system through which distinct neurotransmitters are synthesized, transported, and exert their effects on distant target neurons. These pathways are responsible for regulating critical, widespread functions, including mood stability (serotonergic pathways), motivation and reward (dopaminergic pathways), and the stress response (noradrenergic pathways). They form the fundamental infrastructure of neural and neuroendocrine communication.