4- 'Life Cycle' of a Neurotransmitter Flashcards

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1
Q

What are precursors?

A

Small molecules which form the building blocks of neurotransmitters

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2
Q

Where are precursors obtained from?

A

Our diet

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3
Q

What happens after precursors are transported to the brain?

A

They are converted to neurotransmitters by enzymes

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4
Q

What are the 5 stages in the life cycle of a neurotransmitter?

A
  1. Uptake of precursors and synthesis
  2. Storage
  3. Release
  4. Receptor binding
  5. Deactivation
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5
Q

Where are small-molecule neurotransmitters created and what happens once they are?

A

Created at axon terminals, enzymes act on precursors

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6
Q

Where are neuropeptides made and where are they transported to?

A

Made in the endoplasmic reticulum and transported to the axon terminal for release

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7
Q

Where are neurotransmitters stored?

A

In vesicles

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8
Q

Where are small-molecule neurotransmitters packaged and maintained?

A

In synaptic vesicles

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9
Q

Where are neuropeptides packaged and stored, and transported to?

A

Packaged and stored in large dense-core vesicle
Transported to the axon terminal

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10
Q

What is the first stage of release?

A

Action potentials arrive at axon terminals

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11
Q

What happens after APs arrive at axon terminals?

A

Voltage-gated calcium channels open and calcium ions enter the cell, and calcium ions signal to the vesicles causing them to move to the membrane

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12
Q

How do vesicles release neurotransmitters?

A

By exocytosis

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13
Q

What happens once neurotransmitters have diffused across the synaptic cleft?

A

They bind to receptors

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14
Q

What are agonists?

A

Chemicals that bind to and activate a particular receptor

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15
Q

What is the principle of divergence?

A

Each neurotransmitter has many receptors, which can each have different effects

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16
Q

What do positive ions entering the cell cause?

A

An excitatory postsynaptic potential

17
Q

What do negative ions entering the cell cause?

A

An inhibitory postsynaptic potential

18
Q

What can an ionotropic receptor do?

A

It can open and close an ion channel

19
Q

How does an ionotropic receptor work?

A

It changes membrane potential and shape to allow ions to move through

20
Q

What are the effects of an ionotropic receptor like? (3 points)

A

Fast, local and short-term

21
Q

What does a metabotropic receptor do?

A

Activates G protein when a neurotransmitter binds

22
Q

What are effects of a metabotropic receptor like?

A

It takes a long time for effects to emerge

23
Q

How do enzymes inactivate neurotransmitters?

A

By breaking them up into smaller fragments