Chapter 1: chemical neurotransmission Flashcards
axodendritic synapse
signals from the axon of one neuron to the dendrite of another
axosomatic synapse
signal sent from the axon of one neuron to the soma of another
axoaxonic synapse
signal from the axon of one neuron to the axon of another
anterograde communication
trasmission of thesignal fromthe axon of one neuron to the axon, dendrite, or soma of the next neuron
neurons
cells of chemical communcation in the brain
chemically addressed nervous system
how signals are coded, decoded, transduced, and sent along the way
neurotransmitters
serotonin
norepinephrine
dopamine
acetylcholine
glutamate
GABA
b-endorphin (body’s morphine)
endocannabinoids (body’s pot
what is involved in neuron input
can involve many different neurotransmitters coming from many different neuronal circuits
types of neurotransmission
classic, retrograde, volume
classic neurotransmission
electrical impulses are sent through neuron until it is changed to chemical signal. then chemical messenger is hurled from one neuron to the next where it is either converted back to an electrical impulse or triggers a cascade of chemical messages to change the neurons molecular and genetic functioning
excitation-secretion coupling
process of converting the electrical impulse in a neuron to the chemical signal at the synapse between neurons
retrograde neurotransmission
when postsynaptic neuron talks back to presynaptic neuron
chemical produced specifically as retrograde neurotransmitters at some synapses
endocannabinoids (EC)
nitric oxide (NO)
nerve growth factor (NGF)
retrograde neurotransmission of endocannabinoids (EC)
interacts with CB1 (cannabinoid receptor 1) in presynaptic neuron
retrograde neurotransmission of nitric acid
interacts with cGMP in presynaptic neuron
retrograde neurotransmission of nerve growth factor (NGF)
taken up in presynaptic neuron vesicles to travel back to cell nucleus to interact with the genome there
volume neurotransmission
do not require synapses
when chemical messengers are sent into the synapse they may spill over to distant sites with compatible receptors through diffusion
excitation-secretion coupling
process of electrical impulse being converted to chemical signal
basic description of excitation-secretion coupling
electrical impulse enters axon terminal of presynaptic neuron and stimulates release of chemical neurotransmitter
electrical impulse opens ion channel by changing charge across the neuronal membrane
How does a VSSC work
sodium flows into the presynaptic nerve through the axonal membrane causing the electrical charge there to move along the axon to the presynaptic nerve terminal where it opens up calcium channels
How does a VSCC work
after receiving signal from VSSC, calcium flows into the presynaptic nerve terminal causing the synaptic vesicles to spill their chemical contents into the synapse
what makes it possible for the genome of one neuron to communicate with the genome of another
signal transduction cascades
basic description of signal transduction cascades
A first messenger neurotransmitter activates the production of a second chemical messenger that then activates a third messenger enzyme (known as a kinase) that adds phosphate groups to a fourth messenger protein to create phosphoproteins
what are the two main targets of signal transduction
phosphoproteins and genes
how is signal transduction reversed for retrograde communication between neurons
The first messenger neurotransmitter opens an ion channel that allows calcium to enter the neuron and act as the second messenger which then activates a third messenger (enzyme known as a phosphatase) which removes the phosphate groups from the fourth messenger phosphoproteins and thus reverses the action of the third messenger
what is determined by the balance of kinase and phosphatase in signal transduction cascades
the degree of chemical activity that gets translated into the active fourth messenger