Synaptic Transmission Flashcards
Functional contacts between neurons, or between neurons and target tissues such as muscle fibers
Synapses
refers to the propagation of nerve impulses from one nerve cell to another, or to non-neuronal cells such as muscles or glands
Synaptic Ttansmission
Cells are continuous, allowing direct current flow;
Electrical synapses
There are discrete presynaptic and postsynaptic cells. The presynaptic cells release a chemical substance which binds to receptors in the postsynaptic cells and initiates current flow;
Chemical Synapses
What are the 2 advantages of electrical synapses?
Very rapid, transmission consists only of the direct flow of current (~0.1 msec synaptic delay)
Can coordinate large population of neurons to act in synchrony
What are the 2 disadvantages of electrical synapses?
Tend to be mainly excitatory, harder to regulate
fine control of synaptic transmission not possible
- Transmitter is synthesized and stored in _______
synaptic vesicle
- Action potential invades the _______
presynaptic terminal
- ______ of presynaptic terminal causes opening of voltage-gated Ca2+ channels
Depolarization
- Influx of _____ through channels
Ca2+
5.Ca2+ causes vesicles to fuse with ______
presynaptic membrane
6.Transmitter is released into _____ via ______
synaptic cleft; exocytosis
7.Transmitter binds to receptors on ______
postsynaptic membrane
8.Transmitter causes opening or closing of ______
postsynaptic channels
9.Postsynaptic current causes excitatory or inhibitory postsynaptic potential that changes the _______ of the postsynaptic cell.
excitability
- Transmitter is cleared from the cleft via ____, ______, or ______
diffusion, re-uptake or enzymatic breakdown
11.______ is retrieved from the plasma membrane.
Vesicular membrane
Increase the resting membrane potential (depolarize) by increasing the conductance of Na+ or Ca2+ ions or by decreasing the conductance of K+ ions
Excitatory Synapses
Hyperpolarizes the membrane potential
(more negative than rest) by increasing
the conductance of K+ or Cl- ions
Inhibitory synapses
the additive effect produced by successive synaptic currents at one synapse
Temporal summation
the additive effectproduced by synaptic currents originatingat more than one synapse
Spatial summation
4 mechanisms that rapidly terminate the actions of the chemical:
Re-uptake at terminal
Enzymatic breakdown
Diffusion
Uptake by glial cells
receptor is an integral part of the ion channel that it regulates
neurotransmitter binding changes channel gating
Ionotropic receptors (Directly gated channels)
receptor is distinct from the ion channels it regulates
neurotransmitter binding activates G-protein cascade that eventually alters channel gating
Metabotropic receptors (Indirectly gated channels)