Molecular Biologist Problems

A Cute Boy & a Depressed Neurobiologist Walk Into a Bar...

• As a premise, I am a neurobiologist that suffers from clinical depression. In depressive disorders, three crucial neurotransmitters, the monoamines, have been implicated as potential causes. Neurotransmitters are like any other signaling molecule, such as a hormone, but they are released from brain cells, i.e. neurons, and transverse a short distance called the synapse. One cause of depression is the desensitization or retarded uptake of a monoamine, serotonin, crucial to feeling happy, by the post-synaptic neuron. Neurons that release serotonin are called serotoninergic neurons.
• As I was passing one of the teaching labs, my eyes were captured by a very handsome student to whom my colleague was speaking with. My colleague can be extremely dense when it comes to being inconspicuous, so when I tried to mouth to her, "who is that guy?" she failed to comprehend my reasoning for hiding behind the student as I tried to secretively garner her attention. Consequently, she outwardly asked, "Huh?" I immediately lost hope for her and left. Several minutes later she entered the lounge.
• Dense Colleague: I got what you meant. His name is Brandon; I'm just a little slow on the uptake.
• Depressed Neurobiologist: So you're like my sertoninergic neurons, eh?