Lecture 1- Intro Flashcards
Sensation
nervous system’s initial response to contact with something in the environment
Synaptic Vesicle
packages containing neurotransmitter molecules. They fuse to the cell membrane and dispense their NTs through a process called exocytosis
Neurotransmitter molecules
chemical substance released from the presynaptic axon terminal that acts on the postsynaptic cell
Axon terminal
part of the end of the axon that forms a synapse with a postsynaptic dendrite, axon, or soma
Synaptic gap/ cleft
(synapse) a small space separating the presynaptic and postsynaptic cell
Receptor
binding site for a neurotransmitter. The neurotransmitter must fit in the receptor in a lock and key fashion, and when it binds it opens an ion channel that allows ions to flow into or out of the postsynaptic cell
Diffusion
tendency for molecules to move from areas of high concentration to areas of low concentration
Electrostatic pressure
force by which two ions with similar charges will repel eachother, and the force by which two ions with opposite charges will be attracted to one another
Negative resting potential
when all the ion channels are closed
action potential
dependent upon the exchange of the ions that lie on either side of the membrane
enzymes
one method that is used to remove NT from the synapse (protein causes chemical reactions)
reuptake
another method used to remove NTs is to have it taken back up the cell that released it (via transporter proteins in the cell membrane)
dendrites
the part of the neuron that is sensitive to the neuron’s environment. it is the “main input” to the neuron
soma
cell body of a neuron. contains cell nucleus and directs protein synthesis for the cell
nucleus
found within cell body, contains genetic material for the cell