Chapter 8 Neurons & NT Flashcards
What is the most widely used NT?
What releases this NT and where is it used?
Acetylcholine (ACH)
Released by cholinergic neurons
Used in the Brain and ANS; used at all neuromuscular junctions (skeletal muscle control)
What receptors use ACh and what types of receptors and what are their function?
Receptive tissues contain either nicotinic or muscarinic receptor subtypes
- nACh- receptors are ion channels
- mACh - receptors are G-protein linked Receptors that turn on a cascade effect to amplify the secondary signal molecule.
This is found on the target cell that is innervated by a cholinergic neuron, and its a channel?
What is its gate
Nicotinic ACh receptor
The channel is gated by acetylcholine meaning it needs ACh for the channel to open
After binding ACh to the nicotinic receptor what ions flow through and what dominates?
After binding ACh, both Na+ and K+ flow though the electrochemical gradient for Na+ efflux into the cell predominates
After the Efflux of Na+ at a nACh receptor what takes place?
This causes a depolarizing effect at the target tissue is called an excitatory post-synaptic potential (EPSP)
What is the difference of the muscarinic ACh Receptor from the nicotinic?
What is its main purpose
When ACh binds mACh it activates a G-protein enzymatic cascade that causes a series of chemical rxns to tun on an amplification.
This is an amplification of the signal
These second messengers are what control cellular events
How are NT shut off?
Can be reuptaken back into the axon terminus
Destroyed by enzymes with in the synapse
Removed by glial cells
What class of NT are derived from tyrosine?
What do they include?
Catecholamines (Monamines)
Include:
Serotonin
Norepinephrine
Dopamine
What are the amino acid NTs that are excitatory NT
Glutamic acid
Aspartic Acid
What amino acids are inhibitory NT’s
Glycine
GABA (gamma-aminobutyric acid) - most common NT in brain
What NT make up a large class that share the property that they are small proteins?
What are some examples and how are they activated
Peptide NT’s
Ex. Endorphins, enkephalins, endogenous opioid NT’s
Activated by stressors: analgesia and euphoria
Include pain sensations
What is the major gaseous signal factor
How is this released?
Nitric Oxide is major transmitter
Can be released by endothelial cells in response to elevated pressure with an arteriole
What is the function of NO?
Causes smooth muscle relaxation - in blood vessels this reduces the resistance to flow
What drug increases NO?
What does it do?
Viagra increases NO (Smooth muscle relaxation in arterioles)
This increases blood flow through blood vessels supplying external genitalia
What is the resting membrane potential?
What is the average RMP
The resting membrane potential is a voltage within a cell
The average RMP is -70mV
How this the RMP derived? Meaning what makes the RMP?
What maintains the RMP?
It arises from passive ion flux across the plasma membrane
K+ efflux, Na+ influx
Concentration difference across the membrane is maintained by the Na+/K+ ATPase.
If the membrane potential becomes less negative than the RMP what is happening?
What is the membrane potential used to do?
The cell depolarizes
Use the membrane potential to do work
Work is associated with the changes in the MP