Lecture 15

Question 1

2 types of communication occurring in neurons

Answer 1

Electrical (within neurons)
Chemical (between neurons)

Question 2

Major excitatory NT in brain

Answer 2

Glutamate

Question 3

Receptors used by glutamate, ionotropic or metabotropic

Answer 3

AMPA, kainate, NMDA
(all ionotropic)

Question 4

Major inhibitory NT in brain

Answer 4

GABA (and glycine)

Question 5

GABA receptor types

Answer 5

GABAa - ionotropic, fast, Cl- channel, alcohol works here
GABAb - metabotropic, slow, through neurogliaform interneurons
GABAc - ionotropic, Cl- channel

Question 6

Alcohol on brain

Answer 6

• Biphasic (initial stimulant, then depressant)
• Activates GABAa - Cl- ions cause hyperpolarization, postsynaptic inhibition
• Layer 5 of basal dentrites damaged - lose cells and connections randomly
• Diminished cortical thickness, enlarged ventricles

Question 7

Fetal Alcohol Syndrome effects

Answer 7

Changes in facial features, stunted growth, intellectual disability, etc.
* Almost non-existent corpus callosum
Layer 5 of basal dentrites damaged

Question 8

Cholinergic receptor types (ACh)

Answer 8

nicotinic - ionotropic, excitarory
muscarinic - metabotropic, excitatory or inhibatory

Question 9

Cholinergic pathway functions

Answer 9

Motor, learning + memory, (depleted in neurodegenerative disorders like Alzheimers)

Question 10

Dopamine

Answer 10

• mesostriatal pathway (originate in midbrain, subtantia nigra/VTA), innervates striatum
• motor control
• reward, reinforcement, learning
• abnormalities = schizophrenia, addiction

Question 11

Norepinephrine

Answer 11

-released from locus coeruleus (pons)
- project broadly
- CNS receptors all metabotropic
- mood, arousal, sexual behaviour

Question 12

Serotonin

Answer 12

-mainly found in raphe nuclei
- project widely
- sleep, mood, anxiety, sexual arousal

Question 13

Berthold - testosterone in chickens

Answer 13

• first hormone identified
• no testes = small, weak, don’t mount hens, aren’t aggressive
• act upon blood, then whole organism

Question 14

Endocrine glands __________

Answer 14

release hormones that travel through bloodstream

Question 15

largest - smallest hormones

Answer 15

protein (peptide), amines, steroids
- proteins = string of a.a.
- amine = modified a.a.
- steroid = 4 rings of carbon atoms

Question 16

Protein and amine hormones act _________

Answer 16

rapidly
- cause receptor shape change
- intracellular part activates 2nd messengers

Question 17

Steroid hormones act _______

Answer 17

slowly
- alter protein production
- longer lasting effects
- can change gene expression

Question 18

autocrine response

Answer 18

endocrine gland releases hormone which feeds back onto itself

Question 19

Target cell feedback

Answer 19

hormone acts on target cell, has biological effect which endocrine gland detects and inhibits further release

Question 20

Tropic hormones

Answer 20

pituitary hormones that affect other endocrine glands

Question 21

Releasing hormones

Answer 21

used by hypothalamus to control the pituitary release of tropic hormones

Question 22

pituitary

Answer 22

anterior and posterior that are separate in function
- pituitary stalk = connects pituitary to hypothalamus

Question 23

posterior pituitary secretes

Answer 23

vasopressin, oxytocin

Question 24

Anterior pituitary releases:

Answer 24

ACTH, TSH, FSH, LH, prolactin, growth hormone

Question 25

Hormone release by AP starts at ______ with _______, ends at ______ with ______

Answer 25

hypothalamus, releasing hormones
anterior pituitary, tropic hormones

Question 26

Adrenal Glands

Answer 26

• on top of each kidney
• outer 80% = adrenal cortex
• inner 20% = adrenal medulla
• adrenal cortex secretes adrenocorticoids (steroid hormones). Glucocorticoids and cortisol