Exam 4 Part II Flashcards
The “hypothalamic thermostat”:
The “hypothalamic thermostat”: one of the main areas is the preoptic area, also anterior hypothalamus. Heat-sensitive neurons are found there that respond to direct stimulation and also to signals from warm and cold receptors in the skin.
. Another area associated with heat control is the
. Another area associated with heat control is the posterior hypothalamus.
Heat loss mechanisms (sometimes considered preoptic) prevent a rise in body T
vasodilation in dermis
increased sweating: sym. ACh neurons onto sweat glands (some adrenergic on hands & feet use NE)
Dec. heat production (heat loss mechanisms)
decreased muscle tone – mainly
chemical thermogenesis (caused by Epin. & NE) is reduced.
also: ↓ thyroid hormones
Heat gain mechanisms – heat production and conservation
vasoconstriction in dermis
decreased sweating
increased muscle tone – shivering
chemical thermogenesis by Epin. and NE increased
also: thyroid hormones are secreted when part of the hypothalamus gets colder
___activate the heat gain mechanisms
Pyrogens activate the heat gain mechanisms
At the beginning of a fever a person feels cold (has a chill) because
At the beginning of a fever a person feels cold (has a chill) because the hypothalamic thermostat has been reset upward. Shivering, etc., will raise the body T to the new hypothalamic setting.
Benefits of a fever
Phagocytosis and other WBC activity, e.g., antibody production, are enhanced (some bacteria may be inhibited).
disadvantages of a fever
Higher T makes all chemical reactions faster → metabolic rate is high which increases the body T. Heat stroke can result.
Most CNS synapses are _rather than _, and
Most CNS synapses are chemical rather than electrical, and through chemical synapses, conduction is one-way.
In the synapse, there are ligand-activated (transmitter-activated) channels of mainly 3 types:
mainly Na+, some K+: same channel, excitatory
K+, inhibitory
Cl- and a few anions allowed to pass, inhibitory
Often transmitters do tend to be either excitatory or inhib. but
not always
amine transmitters
NE, Epi., DA (dopamine), 5-HT (serotonin)
Antipsychotics: many block
Antipsychotics: many block DA receptors = reduced dopamine activity.
Antidepressants: many block reuptake of
Antidepressants: many block reuptake of serotonin, some very specifically = SSRIs = specific serotonin reuptake inhibitors. In the short-term at least, SSRIs increase 5-HT in the synaptic cleft.
amino acid anti anxiety drugs
caution: also anti-memory!, also anti-life: 2X risk of death! diazepam = valium), glycine (inhibitory, strychnine blocks: can cause convulsions), glutamate (excitatory, MSG = monosodium glutamate, can be an excitotoxin), aspartate (excitatory)
neuroactive peptides
hypothalamic releasing hormones
- pituitary peptides, e.g., ACTH
- substance P (associated with sensory pathways and pain)
- endorphins = endogenous opiates like enkephalins (block pain) - other peptides, e.g., VIP, insulin, CCK in gut and brain
NO (nitric oxide), CO: both activate
NO (nitric oxide), CO: both activate guanyl cyclase, produce cGMP
Some transmitters can act as __where the main transmitter is something else. They can either enhance or inhibit main transmitter effects.
neuromodulators
An action potential is not generated at the soma (cell body). It is instead generated at
the axon hillock because many times greater number of Na+- channels exist there than at the soma. It is difficult to open the required number of channels at the soma.
Whether there is a net depolarization or hyperpolarization in a postsynaptic cell is a result of the summation of the
the excitatory and inhibitory inputs at synapses.
Spatial summation of postsynaptic potentials at different synapses on a cell
, say, spatial summation of Na+ & Cl-: can’t predict net depolarization or hyperpolarization
Temporal summation of synaptic potentials at the same synapse.
Repetitive firing of the presynaptic cell associated with that synapse causes transmitter to be released repetitively.
Facilitation:
enhancement or reinforcement of nervous activity by arrival of other excitatory impulses. Summation has been going on; it is not yet enough to reach threshold, but brings the membrane closer to it. The synapse is said to be facilitated.
B. Some characteristics of synaptic transmission
fatigue
hypoxia
synaptic delay
fatigue and synaptic transmission
t can occur when an excitatory synapse is fired at a very fast rate. At first a large amount of transmitter is released and then progressively less, and consequently the postsynaptic cell fires progressively less. Synaptic fatigue is considered to be what stops a convulsion. One might consider it protective.