neuronal communication Flashcards

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1
Q

what are neurons made up of?

A

cell body (with nucleus) with a long axon and shorter branching dendrites

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2
Q

what do neurons do?

A

receive, integrate, conduct, and transmit (or not) signals

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3
Q

what is membrane potential?

A

difference in [ion] on the different sides of membrane (ranges form -40 to -70)

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4
Q

what is depolarization?

A

membrane potential becoming less negative

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5
Q

what is hyperpolarization?

A

membrane potential becoming more negative

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6
Q

how do cells read signals?

A

through voltage changes

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6
Q

what do excitatory signals do?

A

open cation channels to depolarize

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6
Q

what do inhibitory signals do?

A

open Cl- or K+ channels to suppress depolarization

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6
Q

what is the purpose of delayed K+ channels?

A

they open in response to depolarization to enable repolization
they have slower kinetics and cause travelling action potential

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7
Q

what happens to electric signals in the neuron?

A

they propagate through the neuron until it reaches snyapse

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8
Q

what is the myelin sheath?

A

acts as electric insulator around axon to increase speed of action potential

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9
Q

what is the differences between chemical and electric synapses?

A

chemical synapses have synaptic cleft, neurotransmitters and receptors, and are more common
electric synapses have gap junctions, no neurotransmitters, and are faster

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10
Q

what are nuerotransmitters?

A

small molecules that go from presynaptic neuron (at chemical synapse) to rely signal to post-synaptic neuron

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11
Q

how are neurotransmitters transmitted?

A

there is action potential at presynaptic site
depolarization of membrane opens voltage-gated Ca2+ channels
Ca2+ influx triggers exocytosis of neurotransmitters
neurotransmitters diffuse rapidly across synaptic cleft and triggers electrical change in post-synaptic cell by binding and opening ligand-gated ion channel

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12
Q

how do you increase Ca2+ in nuerons?

A

through fluorescent Ca sensors

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13
Q

what is the neuromuscular junction?

A

chemical synapse between motor neuron and muscle cell

14
Q

what is an acetylcholine receptor?

A

ligand-gated ion channel that opens transiently

15
Q

what is optogenetics?

A

controlling the activity of neurons with light (sensitive ion channels in neurons are called channelrhodopsins)