Exam 1 Flashcards
study of how drugs alter the transmission of information in the nervous system, by altering neurotransmission drugs can treat disease and change behavior, information transmission is BOTH electrical and chemical
neuropharmacology
transmission WITHIN a neuron is _________ (electrical/chemical)
electrical (action potential)
transmission BETWEEN neurons is ________ (electrical/chemical)
chemical (synaptic transmission)
almost every neuron has what 3 parts?
axon, cell body, dendrites
part of a neuron that receives input from other neurons (excitatory and inhibitory inputs and the balance between the types of inputs)
dendrites
what is the principle excitatory neurotransmitter?
glutamate
what is the principle inhibitory neurotransmitter?
GABA
part of a neuron that has the myelin sheath, myelin helps information travel
axon
part of a neuron right between cell body and axon
axon hillock
part of a neuron where neurotransmitters are released
presynaptic terminals (axon buttons)
embedded in cell membranes, provide passageway from out to in
ion channels
type of ion channel that opens when a ligand (neurotransmitter or drug for example)
ligand-gated
type of ion channel that opens when there is a change in membrane potential
voltage-gated
type of ion channel that opens when a high energy phosphate is added to the channel, phosphate disturbs interactions between amino acids allowing the protein/channel to be in open conformation
phosphorylation-gated
this involves the disturbance of the resting potential to a threshold that initiates propagation of the disturbance along the length of the axon
electrical transmission
K+ channels are always _________ (open/closed) at the resting membrane potential
open to allow K+ to move freely both in and out equally
what happens when a Na+ channel opens (movement of Na+) and what happens to charge of the neuron?
Na+ goes into the cell because more found on the outside, makes neuron more positive
what happens when a Ca2+ channel opens and what happens to charge of the neuron?
Ca2+ goes into the cell because more found outside the cell, makes the neuron more positive
what happens when K+ channels are open and what happens to charge of the neuron?
K+ leaves the cell because more K+ inside the cell, makes the neuron more negative
what happens when Cl- channels are open and what happens to charge of the neuron?
Cl- goes into the cell because more found on the outside of the cell, makes the neuron more negative
what channel corrects for any “leakiness” in Na+ channels?
Na+/K+ symporter
small, transient changes in membrane potential produced by some stimulus
local potentials
term used when a stimulus makes the membrane potential more positive, positive charge going into the neuron, results from opening of Na+ channels and influx of Na+
depolarization
depolarization produced by a neurotransmitter at a synapse
excitatory postsynaptic potential (EPSP), depolarization = excitation because getting closer to threshold of action potential