Synapses and drugs Flashcards
How is the speed of impulse propagation increased?
by myellin
What is saltatory conduction?
action potentials are generated at the nodes of ranvier
What is synaptic transmission
pass on the action potential
Where is the action potential?
at the presynaptic neurone
What are the 2 alternatives to explain the process of synaptic transmission?
electrical- potential goes from one cell to next
chemical- chemical is released by pre-synaptic neurone
What is the evidence for chemical synaptic transmission?
Synaptic cleft- as its the section between the 2 neurones and if neurones are not touching each other then it cant be electrical
Synaptic delay- there is a delay of 0.5-0.8msec which means that a chemical must be involved unlike an electrical signal which is fast
Classic Otto Loewi experiment- 1 heart attached to a vagus nerve, whenn stimulating vagus nerve the heart would slow down. Then he attached 2 hearts with the vagus nerve and they both slow down. This could only happen from a chemical being released from a vagus nerve
What is the length of the synaptic cleft
30-40nm
What are electical synapses?
adjacent cells joined via gap junctions, thus ionic continunity between cells
fast but inflexible
What do gap junctions act as?
electrical synapse
What does it mean if the electrical synapse is inflexible?
you can transmitt action potential but cant modify action potential
Why are electrical synapses fast?
No neurotransmitter is released
action potential potential will go from neurone directly to the post synaptic neurone
Where are electrical synapse?
You have them in your heart and muscles of eye
What is the structure of a chemical synapse?
mitochondria
vesicles ( containing neurotransmitter)
synaptic cleft
post synaptic receptors
Why does the presynaptic area has lots of mitochondria?
its very energy intense
What are the inital stages of chemical synaptic transmission?
- the arrival of an action potential causes the influx of ca2+
- this causes the vesicle to migrate towards the presynaptic membrane
- here it fuses with the meembrane and releases the neurotransmitter via exocytosis
- the transmitter diffuses down the concentration gradient across the synaptic cleft and binds to post synaptic receptors changing the shape of the protein and ion channels open and diffuse
What can a single post synaptic cell receive their synaptic input from?
from several thousand presynaptic neurons
What is motor endplate?
junction between nerve cell and muscle cell
a neuromuscular junction
What is the experiment of recording from 2 points on a muscle fibre following neural stimulation?
1, A motor neurone is stimulated
- 2 electrodes put on muscle cell
- action potential recorded