The Process Of Synaptic Transmission Flashcards
What 3 things must you write about when describing synaptic transmission?
The beginning, middle and end
Where does the process of synaptic transmission begin?
In the presynaptic neuron
What are electrical nerve impulses also called?
Action potentials
Action potentials are sent down the axon until they reach the…
Presynaptic terminal
Where are neurotransmitters stored?
In vesicles
Where are neurotransmitters only found?
In the presynaptic neuron
Where are neurotransmitters released into?
The synaptic cleft
What is the synaptic cleft?
The gap between each neuron
What concentration do neurotransmitters go from when they diffuse across the synapse?
A high to low concentration
What do the neurotransmitters bind to?
Their specific receptor sites
Where are receptor sites present?
On the postsynaptic neuron
What is the theory called to describe neurotransmitters binding onto the post synaptic neuron?
Lock and key theory
What are the two possible outcomes when enough neurotransmitters have attached to receptor sites?
1) the next neuron will fire an impulse
2) the neurotransmitters are recycled
When will the next neurotransmitter fire depending on?
Whether it had an excitatory or inhibitory effect
Where are neurotransmitters recycled back into?
Vesicles in the presynaptic neuron
What is the process of neurotransmitters being recycled to be stored in vesicles in the presynaptic neuron called?
Reuptake
What are neurotransmitters?
Chemical messages to the brain that can have an effect on the next neuron
Neurotransmitters effects can be…
Excitatory of inhibitory
What can be used to increase or decrease levels of neurotransmitters?
Drugs
How do drugs increase or decrease neurotransmitter levels?
By increasing or decreasing the transmission of neurotransmitters across the synapse
When the excitatory neurotransmitter binds to the post synaptic receptors the post synaptic cell become positively or negatively charged?
Positively charged
What does an excitatory neurotransmitter make more likely?
That the post synaptic cell will fire so an impulse will travel down its axon, increasing brain activity in the central nervous system
When the inhibitory neurotransmitter binds to the post synaptic receptors does the post synaptic cell become positively or negatively charged?
Negatively charged
What to inhibitory neurotransmitters prevent or reduce?
The likelihood the post synaptic cell will fire, decreasing brain activity in the central nervous system
When does summation occur?
When the excitatory and inhibitory influences are added together
What is an example of an excitatory neurotransmitter?
Adrenaline
What is an example of an inhibitory neurotransmitter?
Serotonin
If the overall summation effect is inhibitory it reduces the likelihood that the neuron will…
Fire an impulse down the post synaptic neuron
If the overall summation effect is excitatory then the neuron will be less likely to…
Fire an impulse down the post synaptic neuron
