hormonal and neuronal communication 2 Flashcards
Excitatory neurotransmitters
Excitatory neurotransmitters makes post-synpatic cells more likely to fire
-> done when binding to its receptors and causing an excitatory post-synpatic potential (EPSP)
Inhibitory neurotransmitters
Inhibitory neurotransmitters makes post-synpatic cells less likely to fire
-> done when binding to its receptors, causing an inhibitory post-synpatic potential (IPSP)
Synaptic transmission
Synaptic transmission:
1). The action potential reaches end of pre-synaptic neurone
2). Doplarisation of membrane causes calcium ion channels to open
3). Calcium ions diffuse into pre-synaptic knob
4). Vesicles containing neurotransmitters fuses with presynaptic membrane and releases into cleft by exocytosis
5). Neurotransmitter diffuses across cleft and binds with receptor on postsynaptic membrane
6). Sodium ion channels open
7). Triggers the action potential and impulse is propagated along the postsynaptic neurone
How are neurotransmitters removed that are left in the synaptic cleft after transmission?
Remaining neurotransmitters are broken down by enzyme Acetycholine - releases them from receptors and back into knob
-> This prevents response occuring again and allowing neurotransmitter to be recycled
Cholinergic synapses
Cholinergic synapses uses neurotransmitter acetycholine
Transmission across cholinergic synapses
Transmission across cholinergic synapses:
1). Action potential arrives at end of presynaptic neurone + calcium ion channels open and ions enter knob
2). Influx of calcium ions causes vesicles to fuse with membrane and acetycholine releases into cleft
3). Acetycholine fuses with receptor sites on sodium channel in postsynaptic membrane, causing sodium ion channels to open and ions diffuse in
4). Sodium ions generate new action potential
5). Acetycholinesterase hydrolyses acetylcholine into choline and ethanoic acid which diffuse back into cleft (recycled + prevents new aciton potential)
6). ATP used to recombine these into acetycholine, stored in vescles, and sodium channels close
The role of synapses
The role of synpases:
-Ensures impulses are unidirectional
-Can allow an impulse from one neurone to be transmitted to number of neurones at multiple synapses - results in singal stimulus creating number of simultaneous responses
-Number of neurones could feed into signal neurone - results in stimuli from diff receptors interacting to produce a single result
What is summation?
Summation is where an amount of neurotransmitteres build up sufficiently to reach the threshold and trigger an action potential
Two ways that summation can occur
Two ways that summation can occur:
-Spatial summation
-Temporal summation
What is spatial summation?
Spatial summation occurs when a number of presynaptic neurones connect to one postsynaptic neurone - each releases neurotransmitter which builds up to a high enough level in the synapse to trigger an action potential in the single postynatpic neurone
Temporal summation
Temporal summation = occurs when a single presynaptic neurone releases neurotransmitter as a result of an action potential several times over a short period - this builds up in the synapse until the quantity is sufficient to trigger an action potential
Role of synapses
Role of synapses:
-Transmits infro across the gaps between neurones via neurotransmitters in one direction only
-Connects neurones for cell signalling
-Allows convergence/impulses from more than one neurone to be passed to a single neurone
-Allows divergence/impulses from a single neurone to be passed to more than one neurone
Convergence in synapses
Convergence in synapses - impulses from more than one neurone to be passed to a single neurone
Divergence in synapses
Divergence in synpases - impulses from a single neurone to be passed to more than one neurone
Organisation of the human nervous system
Organisation of the human nervous system:
-CNS and PNS
-PNS splits into somatic and autonomic systems
-Autonomic splits into sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous systems
Steps of a reflex arc
Steps of a reflex arc:
1). Stimulus
2). Sensory receptor detects stimulus
3). Nerve impulse to spinal cord (ensures transmission is quick)
4). Relay neurone passes impulse across spinal cord
5). Motor neurone passes impulse to muscle
6). Effector contracts
7). Response initiated
Knee jerk reflex
Knee jerk reflex:
-Leg tapped (stretches the patellar tendon)
-Initiates reflex which causes flexor muscles to relax and extensor muscles to contract
-Absence of this reflex is an indicator of nerve damage
Blinking reflex
Blinking reflex:
-Occurs when cornea is stimulated
-Causes eyelids to close to minimise damage
-Can also be stimulated by light or sudden sounds
-Triggers an impulse along sensory neurone (5th cranial nerve)
-Motor impulse sent along the 7th cranial nerve to the eyelids
Survival importance of reflexes
Survival importance of reflexes:
-Involuntary, brain less overloaded
-Doesn’t have to be learnt
-Extremely fast
-Controls everyday things
Types of muscle
Types of muscle:
-Involuntary/smooth (eg blood vessel walls)
-Cardiac (heart, myogenic)
-Skeletal (makes up bulk of muscle tissue)
Involuntary/smooth muscle features
Involuntary/smooth muscle features:
-Involuntary
-Slow contraction
-Long lasting contraction
-Non striated (striped) fibres
Cardiac muscle features
Cardiac muscle features:
-Involuntary
-Intermediate contraction speed and length
-Specialised striated fibres
Skeletal muscle features
Skeletal muscles features:
-Conscious/voluntary
-Rapid contraction and short
-Striated fibres
Skeletal muscle makeup
Skeletal muscle is made up of muscle fibres (myofibrils) enclosed within a plasma membrane called a sarcolemma
->Contains nuclei and are long (due to being formed from multiple embryonic muscle cells fusing together) -> makes it stronger
Shared cytoplasm within muscle fibre
Shared cytoplasm within muscle fibre = Sarcoplasm
Sarcoplasm features
Sarcoplasm (the shared cytoplasm within muscle fibres) folds inwards (known as transverse/T tubulues) -> helps spread impulses throughout sarcoplasm -> whole fibre recieves impulse to contract at the same time