Synapses Flashcards
Synapse
Point of communication between two neurons
What are the two kinds of synapses?
- Chemical Synapse
- Electrical Synapse
Chemical Synapse (definition)
messages that are transmitted from one neuron to another by chemical neurotransmitters
Electrical Synapse (gap junctions)
- when ions are moved to adjacent cells through channels that are touching each other
- Gap is between synapses is super small: 3.5nm
- Because of small gap special protein channels connect the two cells which allows the positive current to go directly from presynaptic neuron to post
- Super fast
- Only has excitation, not inhibition
- used for fast transmissions like stress hormones
Two basic steps of Chemical Synapses
- Release of Neurochemicals by a presynaptic cell
- Reaction of post-synaptic cell to neurochemicals
9 Steps of Chemical Synapses
- We have vesicles filled with neurotransmitters that are carried by the microtubules
- AP reaches the presynaptic terminal
- Depolarization allows ion channels to open which allows Ca2+ into the cell as the calcium channels open
- Ca2+ causes vesicles to release from microtubules
- Exocytosis -Fusion of sacks of vesicles that have neurotransmitters with membranes/protein of presynaptic cell. When that happens, the neurotransmitters released and go to the synaptic gap
- Once it gets to the gap the postsynaptic receptors receive it and binds
- Neurotransmitters arrive, bind to the receptors, which opens an ion channel, which causes a change in postsynaptic potential when the ions from the surrounding environment enters
- An action potential is fired through the next cell as a result of opening of ion channels
- When u have sodium ions, they can go inside the cell and make it depolarized. If u have lots of sodium channels now being opened so I might reach threshold an action potential can be generated
- Neurotransmitter is inactivated or transported back into presynaptic terminal via retrograde support
Exocytosis
Fusion of sacks of vesicles that have neurotransmitters with membranes/protein of presynaptic cell. When that happens, the neurotransmitters released and go to the synaptic gap
Excitation and Inhibition
excitation
- happens in both electrical and chemical synapses
- increases likelihood that it will depolarize and fire an AP
inhibition
- happens only in chemical synapses
- decreases likelihood that it will fire an AP
What happens if something positive enters the post synpatic cell?
it will get closer to deploarization
What happens if something negative enters the post-synaptic cell?
it will get further away from depolarization
What happens if something positive exits the cell?
obvs it will become more negative
Auto receptors
feedback that the presynaptic neuron receives after the release of neurochemicals about its own level of activity
Receptors
special proteins embedded in the postsynaptic membrane that responds to chemical messengers
Recognition molecules
molecule inside the receptors that bind to specific types of neurochemicals
Receptors- 3D proteins- two kinds
- Ionotropic
- Metabotropic
Ionotropic
- when Ion channels open fast and directly. As soon as the receptors catches a molecule of the neurochemical the ion channel opens.
- These are also Ion channels, they bind, channels open.
Metabotropic
-
Metabotropic- indirect. Extends to extracellular protein and G proteins on the intracellular.
- Neurotransmitter binds to a receptor
- Receptor releases a g protein which binds to an ion channel
- The G-protein causes the ion-channel to open and ion passes through
- Might be slower but allows for so many more functions
- This is just a receptor. It still causes the confirmational change when neurotransmitters bind to it which will activate a nearby ion channel. The g protein on it will cause a nearby channel to open.
Second messengers
When the molecules of neurochemicals become bound at reception site the G protein separates from the receptor area and goes to another part of Postsynaptic cell which causes the ion channels to activate additional chemical messengers in postsynaptic cell which are:
Three different ways a message can be terminated:
- Diffusion- there are all those neurochemicals and astrocytes there, so it makes it go away from areas
- Deactivated by enzymes in the synaptic gap
- Reuptake- the presynaptic membrane uses its own set of receptors called transporters that takes all the neurochemicals back, packages them up, and returns them to the interior of the axon terminals
EPSP
- A small depolarization produced in the post-synaptic cell as a result from an input from a presynaptic cell
- Result from opening of ligated rather that voltage dependent sodium channels in the postsynaptic membrane. The inward travel of pos sodium ions make the depolarization happen too
- EPSP’s are not all or none rather- graded- as opposed to AP’s that last 1ms these last 5-10ms
- Open sodium channels