Exam 2 Signal Transmission Flashcards
▪A ____ is a junction between two neurons, or between a neuron and an effector (muscle or gland)
synapse
▪Synapses contribute to ______ by providing for evaluation and integration of stimuli
homeostasis
▪____ are physically changed with repeated use (which includes learning)
Synapses
▪Some diseases and disorders result from synaptic _____, and many therapeutic and addictive chemicals have their sites of action at synapses
disruptions
▪At a synapse between neurons . . .
– The neuron sending the signal is the ___
– The neuron receiving the message is the ____
▪Most neurons, including all interneurons, function as both presynaptic and postsynaptic neurons, receiving information from some neurons and conveying information to others
presynaptic neuron
postsynaptic neuron
Synapses (chemical synapses) are most
commonly . . .
– ___, from axon to dendrite
– ____, from axon to soma
– _____, from axon to axon
– Axodendritic, from axon to dendrite
– Axosomatic, from axon to soma
– Axoaxonic, from axon to axon
Two Types of synapses?
Electrical and Chemical
▪_____ synapses
– The cells on each side of the synapse are in physical contact
– Action potential moves from one cell to the other as a flow of ions through gap junctions
Electrical
▪_____ synapses
– The cells on each side of the synapse are not in physical contact
– Action potential moves from one cell to the other by means of a neurotransmitter that bridges the gap between the two cells
Chemical
Electrical synapses
▪Action potentials (impulses) are conducted between adjacent cells by _____
▪Hundreds of _____ per gap junction connect the cytosol of the adjacent cells
▪Ions flow from one cell to the other, conveying the ____
gap junctions
connexons
action potential
Electrical synapses
▪Electrical synapses or chemical synapses are faster?
▪Electrical synapses can synchronize groups of?
▪Locations include ?
▪Electrical synapses are faster than chemical
synapses
▪Electrical synapses can synchronize groups of
neurons or muscle fibers
▪Locations include muscle fibers of the heart and
visceral smooth muscle
First Event at a chemical synapse
- Increased intercellular Ca++ level within the presynaptic neuron triggers exocytosis of some of the synaptic vesicles, releasing neurotransmitter into the synaptic cleft
Second Event at a chemical synapse
- Neurotransmitter molecules diffuse across the synaptic cleft and bind to neurotransmitter receptors in the post-synaptic neuron’s plasma membrane
Third Event at a chemical synapse
- Ligand-gated channels open, allowing ions to cross the membrane (here, Na+), changing the voltage and creating a postsynaptic potential
Fourth Event at a chemical synapse
- Threshold depolarizing postsynaptic potential triggers one or more nerve impulses
Explain or draw the Four events at a chemical synapse
- Increased intercellular Ca++ level within the presynaptic neuron triggers exocytosis of some of the synaptic vesicles, releasing neurotransmitter into the synaptic cleft
- Neurotransmitter molecules diffuse across the synaptic cleft and bind to neurotransmitter receptors in the post-synaptic neuron’s plasma membrane
- Ligand-gated channels open, allowing ions to cross the membrane (here, Na+), changing the voltage and creating a postsynaptic potential
- Threshold depolarizing postsynaptic potential triggers one or more nerve impulses
Postsynaptic potentials
▪Neurotransmitters that depolarize the postsynaptic membrane cause an excitatory graded potential because ___
▪Neurotransmitters that cause hyperpolarization (further polarization) of the postsynaptic membrane are ___
it brings the membrane closer to threshold
inhibitory
Excitatory postsynaptic potential
▪Abbreviated _____
▪Typically result from opening of ______, the three most common cations being Na+, K+, and Ca++
▪A single EPSP does not normally _____, but the neuron does become more excitable, and being partially depolarized is more likely to reach threshold at future EPSP arrival
EPSP
ligand- gated cation channels
initiate a nerve impulse
Inhibitory postsynaptic potential
▪Abbreviated ____
▪Typically result from opening of ligand-gated anion channels for Cl- or ligand- gated channels for K+, which then diffuse according to concentration gradients resulting in ______
IPSP
the inside becoming more negative (hyperpolarized)
Typically result from opening of ligand- gated cation channels, the three most common cations being Na+, K+, and Ca++
Excitatory postsynaptic potential (EPSP)
Neurotransmitter removal
▪Neurotransmitters must be removed from the synaptic cleft for _____
▪If neurotransmitters were not removed, they would ___
normal synaptic function
continue to influence the postsynaptic neuron, muscle fiber, or gland indefinitely
Mechanisms of neurotransmitter removal
▪Diffusion
▪Enzymatic degradation (acetylcholinesterase breaks
down acetylcholine into acetyl and choline)
▪Uptake by the cells
Explain uptake and reuptake
– Termed reuptake if taken back up by the same cell that released the neurotransmitter
– Termed uptake if taken up by a cell that did not actually release it in the first place
– Neurotransmitter transporters are membrane proteins that accomplish the uptake
Summation of postsynaptic potentials
▪Central nervous system neurons typically receive input from between 1,000 and 10,000 synapses
▪The synaptic input is integrated (evaluated) by a process known as _____, which occurs at the trigger zone
▪The greater the summation of EPSPs, the greater the chance that threshold will be reached, and that a nerve impulse will arise
summation
What are the two summation types?
Spatial summation
Temporal summation
______ results from buildup of neurotransmitter released simultaneously by several presynaptic end bulbs
▪Spatial summation
______results from buildup of neurotransmitter released by a single presynaptic end bulb many times in rapid succession
▪Temporal summation
Postsynaptic neuron response to summation
▪If the total excitatory effects are greater than total
inhibitory effects, but still less than threshold the
result is a sub-threshold EPSP, ______, but
partial depolarization may make a nerve impulse
easier with additional stimuli
no nerve impulse
Postsynaptic neuron response to summation
▪If the total excitatory effects are greater than total
inhibitory effects, and threshold is reached, the result
is ________
generation of one or more nerve impulses
Postsynaptic neuron response to summation
▪If the total inhibitory effects are greater than the
excitatory effects, the membrane hyperpolarizes,
thereby _________
inhibiting the ability of the postsynaptic neuron to generate a nerve impulse