Two scientists that live almost 9,000 kilometers apart show that distance doesn’t matter when it comes to science. They published an article about how sleep deprivation affects the level of serotonin receptors. ![brain-1845940_1920.jpg](https://files.peakd.com/file/peakd-hive/kralizec/23xVGdmg62bSjEnGVmHq1hM8tUrUmPqg8e4BXWZrgJw5nQ3vGg1XAgCGhJUkRokSH9soY.jpg) Image by Pete Linforth from Pixabay * Be also sure to check out my other posts and follow me @kralizec and subscribe to my Youtube channel at [Kralizec Gaming Youtube Channel](https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCM6bVobsVUBzJ-oqajqI-eA)

Serotonin is a biologically active molecule that functions as an important neurotransmitter in our nervous system. This means it transfers signals between individual neurons. But it needs to be able to release from one neuron and attach to the other to do its job. One of the many keyholes in which serotonin fits is called 5-HT2A. It is best known thanks to its connection to certain drugs like psilocybin which can be found in certain types of mushrooms. Having a wrong level or having your 5-HT2A function wrongly can lead to psychiatric problems – including schizophrenia. But it’s not only a disease that can throw your serotonin receptors out of balance.

A team led by Amelia Gallitano from Arizona University found out that even stress factors such as sleep deprivation can lead to problems with your serotonin receptor levels. More specifically, because of sleep deprivation, the level of serotonin receptors increased significantly. While it was so far proven only in mice the probability that it happens in humans as well is high. You probably even experienced this yourself. It is harder to concentrate and recognize things, or even small hallucinations can take place if you suffer from serious sleep deprivation. The scientists are now convinced that they know the mechanism behind all of this. The gene EGR3. EGR3 is sensitive to physiological stimuli isn’t the code for the protein for the receptor itself but for its transcribe regulator. This regulator binds to the beginning of the gene for the receptor itself and stars the transcription. After this, the DNA code becomes the guide how to build the final protein which will become part of the cellular membrane.

Sources:

* https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35001075/ --- * If you like the content I’m producing about science maybe you will like the content I produce about gaming as well! Be sure to check out my other posts!

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