2a. Neurons, neurotransmitters, (beginning) Flashcards
Unit 2
What is the function of GABA?
Primary inhibitory neurotransmitter- voltage change due to neurotransmitter that decreases the chances that a neuron will fire an action potential
What is a GABA deficit?
Anxiety disorders, insomnia, seizures, and Huntington’s disease
What is a Dopamine surplus?
schizophrenia
What is a Dopamine deficit?
Tremors and Parkinson’s disease
Function: influences voluntary movement, posture, learning, cognition, attention
Dopamine
What is a Glutamate function?
Primary excitatory neurotransmitter a voltage charge due to a neurotransmitter than increasing the chances that a neuron will fire an action potential
What is an Acetylcholine function?
Contraction of muscles and heart rate and transmits messages and influences learning and memory
What is an Acetylcholine surplus?
Migraines/Seizures
What is an Acetylcholine deficit?
Alzheimer’s
One main deficit of Serotonin includes..
Depression
Located in the body’s sense organs and send information from these organs to the CNS/brain (incoming info- brain and spine)
Sensory/Afferent Neurons
What is the most abundant neurotransmitter?
Glutamate
What is a Glutamate surplus?
Brain producing brain diseases, migraine, and seizures, problems following brain injury or stroke
What is released from the sending neuron that travels across the synapse and binds to receptors sites on the receiving neuron, thereby influencing it to generate an action potential?
Neurotransmitters/Chemicals
What is a Serotonin function?
Involved with mood regulation, hunger, sleep, impulsive control
What is a Serontonin deficit?
Sleep-wake disorders, food cravings, aggression
What is Norepinephrine?
A hormone and neurotransmitter
Conveys information from central nervous system to the body’s organs, glands, and muscles
Motor/Efferent Neurons
What is a norepinephrine function?
Helps control alertness and arousal (related to sympathetic nervous system and fight or flight response)
What are released in response to pain or vigorous exercise and provide pain relief?
Endorphins
What is a junction between the axon tip of the sending neuron and the dendrite or cell body of the receiving neuron?
Synaptic gap/cleft
When does someone take an agonist medication?
When they have a deficit of a neurotransmitter
What is a molecule that blocks production or release of a neurotransmitter decreasing its action?
An antagonist
Why is Curare an antagonist?
It blocks ACh receptor sites on muscles, paralyzing the body.
What is a molecule that increases a neurotransmitter’s action by either increasing the production or release of neurotransmitters OR by blocking reuptake in the synapse?
An agonist
What are the first two parts of the nervous system?
The central and peripheral nervous system
What consists of the CNS (Central Nervous System)?
The brain and spinal cord
What consists of the PNS (Peripheral Nervous System)?
Motor and sensory neurons
What consists of the Motor neurons?
Somatic (voluntary movement) and autonomic nervous systems
What consists of the autonomic nervous system?
Sympathetic and Parasympathetic nervous systems
axon
fiber attached to soma / carries messages to other cells
dendrite
part of neuron that receives messages from other cells
soma
cell body / contains nucleus and keeps entire cell alive and functioning
myelin sheath
a layer of fatty substances that wrap around the axon shafts forming an insulating and protective sheath, speeds up neural message travelling down axon
neurotransmitters
inside neurons, transmit messages
synaptic cleft / synaptic gap
between axon terminal and dendrite of other neuron is fluid filled space receptor sites
synapse
space where two neurons meet / permits neuron to pass chemical signal to other neuron
glia cells
structure on which neurons develop and function hold neurons in place get nutrients to neurons clean up remains of dead or damaged neurons communicate with neurons and other glial cells provide insulation for neurons possible role in depression and schizophrenia
receptor sites
proteins that allow only particular molecules of a certain shape to fit into it molecules of neurotransmitter cross synaptic ago to fit into receptor sites
neuron
specialized cell in nervous system that receives and sends messages within that system
terminal buttons
the small knobs at the end of an axon that release chemicals called neurotransmitters
