Biopsychology: synaptic transmission

Question 1

What is synaptic transmission?

Answer 1

communication of neurons through the diffusion of neurotransmitter chemicals

Question 2

what are neurotransmitters?

Answer 2

.chemical messengers that carry signals across the synapse

Question 3

What is the process of synaptic transmission?

Answer 3

.an impulse comes down an axon to a pre-synaptic nerve
.the electrical impulse triggers the vesicles to release the neurotransmitter
.the neurotransmitter diffuses across the synapse to the post-synaptic nerve
.at the post-synaptic nerve, the neurotransmitter binds to a specific receptor
.the neurotransmitters release either positively charged chemicals or negatively charged chemicals.

Question 4

what is an excitatory neurotransmitter?

Answer 4

.if the chemicals give the following neuron a positive charge, the neuron will continue the message as an electrical signal
.chemicals have reached action potential

Question 5

what is an inhibitory neurotransmitter?

Answer 5

.if the chemicals give the following neuron a negative charge, the neuron will not continue the message
.chemicals have not reached action potential

Question 6

What is summation?

Answer 6

calculation of excitatory chemicals and inhibitory chemicals

Question 7

which part of the neuron fires the message if the chemicals reach action potential?

Answer 7

.dendrites