L6 (pt.2) Flashcards
Graded potentials
A small change in membrane potential (depolarizing or hyperpolarizing)
Where do graded potentials (gp) occur?
Sensory receptors ➡️ receptor potential
Cell bodies/ dendrites ➡️ graded potential
Epsp-Ipsp cancellation
Excitatory and inhibitory graded potentials cancel each other out
Spatial summation
Excitatory potentials from many neurons trigger threshold potential
Temporal summation
Many excitatory potentials from one neuron triggers threshold potential
What are the two ways to reach threshold potential?
Temporal threshold ➡️ one neuron creates many graded potentials
Spatial summation ➡️ many neurons create graded potentials
What are graded potentials used for?
- Initiates information flow in sensory neurons
- Conducts information from cell bodies/ dendrites to initial segment of axon
- Initiate action potentials in cardiac muscle
What are properties of graded potentials?
- Depolarizes (epsp) or hyperpolarize (Ipsp)
- Amplitude modulate
- Amplitude delays w/ distance
- Can be summed ➡️ temporal or spatial
- Inhibited by synaptic transmission
Synaptic transmittion
Conduction across a synapse (leading to graded potential)
Synapse
Region of communication between two neurons
What are the two types of synapses?
Electrical and chemical
Electrical synapses function is to
Rapidly synchronize electrical events
- ions pass through gap junctions b/w cells
Chemical synapses function is to
Turn post synaptic neurons on/off by creating Epsp & Ipsp
- uses ligand gated ion channels
What are the 2 mechanisms for opening ion channel receptors?
Ligand- gated receptor & G protein receptors
Explain the mechanism for neurotransmitter release
- Action potential reaches axon terminal
- Voltage gated ca2+ channels open ➡️ca2+ diffuses down concentration gradient into cell
- Ca2+ binds to receptor protein (synaptotagmin) in cytoplasm
- Ca2+ protein complex stimulates fusion/ exocytosis of neurotransmitter