Excitatory and Inhibitory Neurotransmitters Flashcards
What are neurotransmitters?
Chemical messengers that carry signals across the synaptic gap to the receptor site on the postsynaptic cell.
What can neurotransmitters be classified as in their action?
Either excitatory or inhibitory.
What are two examples of excitatory neurotransmitters?
Acetylcholine and noradrenaline.
Are excitatory neurotransmitters the ‘on switches’ or ‘off switches’?
On Switches.
What do excitatory neurotransmitters do?
Increase the likelihood that an excitatory signal is sent to the postsynaptic cell.
Do the excitatory neurotransmitters increase of decrease the likelihood of that neuron firing?
Increase.
What are two examples of inhibitory neurotransmitters?
Seretonin and GABA.
Are inhibitory neurotransmitters the ‘on switches’ or ‘off switches’?
Off Switches.
Do the inhibitory neurotransmitters increase of decrease the likelihood of that neuron firing?
Decrease.
What are inhibitory neurotransmitters usually responsible for?
Calming the mind and body, inducing sleep.
What will happen if an excitatory neurotransmitter binds with a postsynaptic receptor?
There will be an electrical change in the membrane of the cell and will create an excitatory post-synaptic potential.
If there is a excitatory post-synaptic potential, will the postsynaptic cell be more or less likely to to fire?
More likely.
What is the result when an inhibitory neurotransmitter binds with a postsynaptic receptor cell?
An inhibitory postsynaptic potential.
If there is an inhibitory post-synaptic potential, will the cell be more or less likely to fire?
Less likely it will fire.
If a nerve cell relies both an excitatory postsynaptic potential and an inhibitory postsynaptic potential, how will the cel firing be determined?
By adding up the excitatory and inhibitory synaptic input.
