Neurotransmitters

Question 0

What are the 5 rules for being a classical chemical neurotransmitter

Answer 0

1- chemical must be made and stored in presynaptic cells
2- the chemical must be released from presynaptic terminals on action potential
3- released chemical must bind to receptors and cause a biological effect
4- there must be a mechanism to inactivate or metabolise the chemical
5- the chemical should have the same effect if artificially applied to synapse

Question 1

What is the process for neurotransmitter release

Answer 1

1- action potential
2- vesicle docks
3- neurotransmitter release (exocytosis)
4- neurotransmitter binds to receptor
5- unbound nt transported into presynaptic terminal for reuptake (endocytosis)
6- nt gets broken down or repackaged in vesicles

Question 2

Where do neurotransmitters come from?

Answer 2

Peptides

• precursor peptide synthesised in rough er
• cleaved in Golgi apparatus to active neurotransmitter
• secretory vesicles bud off from Golgi apparatus
• secretory granules transported to terminal and stored

Monoamines, amino acids and acetylcholine

• precursor molecule synthesised to neurotransmitter
• transported to synaptic vesicle and stored

Question 3

What is the main difference between peptides, monoamimes and amino acids or acetylcholine neurotransmitters

Answer 3

Peptides neurotransmitters are made in the soma and transported in secretory granules to the terminal

Monoamimes, amino acids and acetylcholine are made from precursor molecules in the terminal and are transported in synaptic vesicles

Question 4

What is glutamate

Answer 4

Major excitatory NT
Learning and memory
Neuroplasticity
Excitotoxicity- where glutamate kills cells

Question 5

What is GABA

Answer 5

Major inhibitory NT

modulator of major processes

Question 6

What are the common amino acids

Answer 6

Glutamate and GABA, glycine and aspartate

Question 7

Where is glutamate found

Answer 7

Thalamus- cortex and striatum and mid brain

Cell bodies in thalamus and terminals in striatum

Question 8

Where is GABA found

Answer 8

Interneurons
Cerebellum
Cortex
Striatum 
Midbrain

Question 9

How many percent of inhibitory information in the brain is mediated by GABA?

Answer 9

5o%

Question 10

What are interneurons

Answer 10

Small neurons that are retained in the one brain area

Question 11

How are amino acids synthesised?

Answer 11

From glucose

Glucose makes glutamate which makes GABA
Glutamate makes GABA through enzyme called glutamatic acid decarboxylase (gad)

Question 12

How do amino acids metabolise

Answer 12

Released into pre synaptic terminal

GABA is broken down by gaba transaminase and glutamate is recycled

Question 13

What is acetylcholine

Answer 13

Involved in memory and perceptual learning, movement and REM sleep

Question 14

Where are acetylcholine cell bodies located

Answer 14

Septa hippocampal pathways

Striatal interneurons

Question 15

How do we metabolise acetylcholine

Answer 15

Broken down by acetylcholine ester are (ache) to choline and acetic acid

Ach metabolism occurs in the synaptic cleft
Choline is then transported into the presynaptic cell for reuse

Question 16

What is dopamine involved in

Answer 16

STM
Strategy and planning
Reward
Movement

Question 17

What are the three catecholamines

Answer 17

Dopamine
Noradrenaline
Adrenaline

Question 18

What is serotonin involved in

Answer 18

Cognition, emotion and reward

Question 19

What is noradrenaline involved in

Answer 19

Attention
Fight/ flight
Sleep

Question 20

What are the 2 indolamines

Answer 20

Serotonin

Melatonin

Question 21

What is the catecholamines pathway

Answer 21

Dopamine makes noradrenaline, noradrenaline makes adrenaline

Question 22

Where are dopamine and noradrenaline cell bodies located

Answer 22

Nora- mid brain and further back

Dopamine-, substantia niagra, ventral tegmental area

Question 23

Where are serotonin cell bodies

Answer 23

The dorsal raphe
Caudal raphe
Rostral raphe

Question 24

What is the metabolism of monoamimes

Answer 24

Monoamimes are deactivated by monoamine oxidase (Mao) or repackaged into vesicles

Question 25

What are the transporters for dopamine, noradrenaline and serotonin?

Answer 25

D= dat
S= sert
N= net