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Introduction to Neuroscience and Pharmacology > neurotransmitters > Flashcards

neurotransmitters Flashcards

1
Q

synapse

A

connection between two neurons

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2
Q

synaptic cleft

A

area between presynaptic terminal + postsynaptic regions

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3
Q

presynaptic neuron

A

neuron that is transmitting to another

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4
Q

postsynaptic neuron

A

receiving neuron

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5
Q

vesicles

A

where neurotransmitters are stored in the terminals in membrane-enclosed containers

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6
Q

partial depolarisation/hypopolarisation

A

excitatory effect that facilitates occurrence of an action potential

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7
Q

increased polarisation/hyperpolarisation

A

inhibitory effect that makes an action potential less likely to occur

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8
Q

excitatory postsynaptic potential (EPSP)

A

hypopolarisation of dendrites + cell body when sodium channels are opened

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9
Q

inhibitory postsynaptic potential (IPSP)

A

hyperpolarisation of dendrites + cell body when potassium/chloride channels are opened

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10
Q

inhibitory postsynaptic potential (IPSP)

A

hyperpolarisation of dendrites + cell body when potassium/chloride channels are opened

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11
Q

axon hillock

A

where axon joins cell body

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12
Q

Do EPSPs increase or decrease the rate of firing?

A

increase

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13
Q

DO IPSPs increase or decrease the rate of firing?

A

decrease

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14
Q

temporal summation

A

combines potentials arriving a short time apart

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15
Q

reuptake

A

when transmitters are taken back into terminals by transporter proteins, repackaged, in vesicles + used again

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16
Q

How do glial cells contribute to regulation of synaptic activity?

A

1) surround synapse + prevent neurotransmitter from spreading to other synapses
2) remove neurotransmitter from synaptic cleft + recycle

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17
Q

How do glial cells contribute to regulation of synaptic activity?

A

1) surround synapse + prevent neurotransmitter from spreading to other synapses
2) remove neurotransmitter from synaptic cleft + recycle

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18
Q

neural networks

A

groups of neurons that function together to carry out a process

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19
Q

acetylcholine

A

transmitter at muscles; in brain, involved in learning

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20
Q

serotonin

A

involved in mood, sleep, arousal, aggression, depression, obsessive-compulsive disorder, alcoholism

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21
Q

dopamine

A

contributes to movement control + promotes reinforcing effects of food, sex + abused drugs; involved in schizophrenia + Parkinson’s disease

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22
Q

norepinephrine

A

hormone released during stress, functions as neurotransmitter in the brain to increase arousal + attentiveness to events in environment; involved in depression

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23
Q

epinephrine

A

stress hormone related to norepinephrine; plays minor role as neurotransmitter in brain

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24
Q

epinephrine

A

stress hormone related to norepinephrine; plays minor role as neurotransmitter in brain

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25
glutamate
principal excitatory neurotransmitter in the brain + spinal cord, vitally involved in learning + implicated in schizophrenica
26
gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA)
inhibitory transmitter in spinal cord + lower brain
27
endorphins
neuromodulators that reduce pain + enhance reinforcement
28
substance p
transmitter in neurons sensitive to pain
29
neuropeptide y
initiates eating + produces metabolic shifts
30
nitric oxide
one of two known gaseous transmitters that can serve as a retrograde transmitter, influencing presynaptic neuron's release of neurotransmitter
31
What three criteria must a neurotransmitter fall into?
1) be synthesised + stored in presynaptic neuron 2) be released by presynaptic axon terminal 3) produce responses in postsynaptic cell
32
presynaptic termnal
end of an axon that forms the synapse
33
What do mitochondria do in synaptic transmission?
provide energy
34
secretory granules
cell organelles which contain chemicals released from axon terminal to activate receptors on surrounding neurons
35
active zone
part of presynaptic regions where synaptic vesicles dock + are released
36
postsynaptic density
region of postsynaptic membrane enriched with receptors
37
vesicular transporters
proteins which transport neurotransmitter into synaptic vesicles
38
reuptake transporters
proteins which transport released neurotransmitter into presynaptic terminal
39
degrative enzymes
break down any free neurotransmitter
40
receptors
proteins through which neurotransmitter relays signals/effects
41
secondary messengers
biochemical pathways initiated following binding of neurotransmitter to receptors
42
Are neurotransmitters located presynaptically or postsynaptically?
presynaptically
43
Are receptors located presynaptically or postsynaptically?
both
44
agonists
agent which bind to receptors
45
antagonists
agents which block receptors + prevent agonists binding to their respective receptors
46
What are the 2 classes of receptors?
1) ionotropic receptors | 2) metabotropic receptors
47
How do ionotropic receptors work?
form pores/channels for passing different ions between inside + outside of neuron
48
Do ionotropic receptors mediate fast or slow synaptic neurotransmission?
fast
49
What does the activation of metabotropic receptors lead to?
intracellular metabolic pathway signalling
50
How do metabotropic receptors work?
binding of agonist to receptors initiates intracellular biochemical cascade which results in increase/decrease of other proteins/calcium levels which results in neuronal excitation
51
Do metabotropic receptors mediate fast or slow synaptic neurotransmission?
slow
52
Give an example of quaternary amines.
acetylcholine (ACh)
53
Give an example of monoamines.
1) norepinephrine (NE) 2) epinephrine (adrenaline) 3) dopamine (DA) 4) serotonin 5) melatonin
54
Give an example of amino acids.
1) gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) 2) glutamate 3) glycine 4) histamine
55
Give an example of opioid peptides.
1) met-enkephalin 2) leu-enkephalin 3) β-endorphin 4) dynorphin A
56
Give an example of peptide hormones.
1) oxytocin 2) substance P 3) cholecystokinin (CCK) 4) vasopressin 5) neuropeptide Y (NPY) 6) hypothalamic releasing hormones
57
Give an example of gases
1) nitric oxide | 2) carbon monoxide
58
What are types of small molecule neurotransmitters?
1) quaternary amines 2) monoamines 3) amino acids
59
What are types of large molecule neurotransmitters?
1) opioid peptides 2) peptide hormones 3) gases
60
Where does synthesis of larger neurotransmitter molecules occurs?
soma
61
Where does synthesis of smaller neurotransmitter molecules occur?
axon terminal
62
What are the steps of neurotransmitter synthesis?
1) synthesis of neurotransmitter molecules 2) action potential causes calcium to enter terminal 3) terminal releases neurotransmitter 4) termination of neurotransmitter occurs through breakdown by enzymes/reuptake by membrane transporters 5) neurotransmitter binds to receptors, opening ion channels
63
glutamate
major excitatory neurotransmitter throughout nervous system
64
How is glutamate synthesised?
1) glutamine converted to glutamate by enzyme glutaminase + packaged into synaptic vesicles for release 2) glutamate released from axon terminal, taken up by glia + converted back to glutamine + transported to axon terminal for conversion back to glutamate
65
How does glutamate affect learning memory?
1) enhances memory | 2) enhances cognition
66
What can the dysregulation of glutamate activity lead to?
excessive excitability of neurons
67
GABA
major inhibitory neurotransmitter in the brain
68
What are the 3 classes of GABA receptors?
1) GABA-A 2) GABA-B 3) GABA-C
69
Are GABA-A receptors ionotropic or metabotropic?
ionotropic
70
Are GABA-B receptors ionotropic or metabotropic?
metabotropic
71
What are amine neurotransmitters derived from?
aromatic amino acids
72
How are amine neurotransmitters different to glutamate + GABA?
expressed only in select populations of neurons in specific brain regions
73
What are the 4 dopamine pathways?
1) mesolimbic 2) mesocortical 3) nigrostriatal 4) tuberioinfundibular
74
Where does the mesolimbic pathway project?
ventral tegmental area to ventral striatum
75
Where does the mesocortical pathway project?
ventral tegmental area to prefrontal cortex
76
Where does the nigrostriatal pathway project?
substantia nigra to dorsal striatum
77
Where does the tuberioinfundibular pathway project?
hypothalamus to pituitary gland
78
Where are the major dopamine nuclei?
1) substantia nigra 2) ventral tegmental area 3) hypothalamus
79
How many dopamine receptors are there?
5
80
Are dopamine receptors ionotropic or matabotropic?
metabotropic
81
Are dopamine receptors inhibitory/excitatory?
both depending upon the G-proteins they are coupled with
82
What is the role of dopamine in brain function?
1) motor coordination 2) motivation 3) reward seeking 4) cognition 5) nausea + vomiting 6) hormonal
83
Where are norepinephrine producing neurons concentrated?
1) pons | 2) medulla
84
what system is norepinephrine released in?
sympathetic nervous system
85
How is serotonin synthesised?
1) L-Tryptophan converted to 5-HTP | 2) 5-HTP converted to serotonin
86
Where are serotonin producing neurons concentrated?
raphe nuclei in the midbrain + pons
87
What is the major noradrenergic nuclei?
locus coeruleus
88
What are the classes of noradrenergic receptors?
1) alpha 1 + 2 | 2) beta 1 + 2 + 3
89
Are noradrenergic receptors ionotropic or metabotropic?
metabotropic
90
What is the role of noradrenaline in brain function?
1) arousal 2) memory + cognition 3) stress response
91
What is the role of 5-HT in brain function?
diverse including sleep / pain / emotion
92
How is acetylcholine synthesised?
acetyl CoA + choline
93
What are neurons that contain acetylcholine called?
cholinergic
94
Where are cholinergic neurons found?
1) basal forebrain 2) nucleus basalis 3) medial septal nucleus 4) nucleus of the diagonal band 5) pedunculopontine nucleus 6) laterodorsal tegmental nucleus
95
Are nicotinic acetylcholine receptors ionotropic or metabotropic?
ionotropic
96
Are muscarinic acetylcholine receptors ionotropic or metabotropic?
metabotropic
97
What enzyme terminates the action of acetylcholine?
acetylcholinesterase
98
What does acetylcholinesterase break acetylcholine down into?
acetate + choline
99
What is the role of acetylcholine in brain function?
1) cognition 2) motor activity 3) mood
100
reuptake
return of neurotransmitters to axon terminal through membrane transporters
101
What generates a nerve impulse on the post-synaptic membrane?
neurotransmitter binding with receptor sites
102
What neurotransmitter contributes to voluntary movement control?
dopamine
103
What does dopamine deficiency lead to?
Parkinson's disease
104
What neurotransmitter plays a key role in reward pathways and is important in addictive disorders?
dopamine
105
What neurotransmitter is primarily an inhibitory transmitter?
GABA

Introduction to Neuroscience and Pharmacology (6 decks)

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