Communication and Integration

Question 1

What are the 3 main components of communication in the animal body?

Answer 1

1.The signal 
•Chemical and electrical
2.A system of reception
•Ion channels
•Cell receptors
3.A cellular response
•Opening ion channels; and/or
•Internal response pathways triggered when cells receive a signal.

Question 2

What are chemical signals?

Answer 2

molecules secreted into the body fluids that bind to cell’s protein receptors. Signalling molecules are termed ligands of the receptors.

Question 3

What are neurons?

Answer 3

the functional units of the nervous system. They produce neurotransmitters and generate electrical signals in the form of action potentials (unidirectional, rapid changes in polarity of the membrane)

Question 4

What are pheromones?

Answer 4

Water or air soluble molecules secreted to the environment and received by individual of the same group of animals.

Question 5

What is an electrical synapse?

Answer 5

have gap junctions that allow ions to pass directly between the cytoplasm of the neuron and the and the cytoplasm of its targeting cell, letting changes in voltage pass through directly

Question 6

What is a chemical synapse?

Answer 6

An axon’s ending at the synapse is packed with secretory vesicles. With each action potential, a few of the vesicles fuse with the plasma membrane to release a neurotransmitter into the synaptic cleft. The neurotransmitter molecules bind to the extracellular portion of transmembrane proteins in the cell membrane of the target cell.

Question 7

What are hormones?

Answer 7

Signaling molecules synthesized and secreted by specialized cells that are released into the extracellular space and exert specific biochemical actions on target cells located at distant sites

Question 8

What are neurotransmitters?

Answer 8

neuron-borne extracellular signalling molecules that bind to the receptor domain of a channel located in the membrane of the post-synaptic side of the synapse