THE PROCESS OF SYNAPTIC TRANSMISSION

Question 1

What is synaptic transmission

Answer 1

• The process of transmitting (sending) information from neuron to neuron.
• There is a gap between each neuron called the synapse in which chemical transmitters have to be used to continue the message.
• This occurs between the terminal end on one neuron to the dendrite on the next

Question 2

Inhibitory Potentials:

Answer 2

• Make it less likely to fire and, if the message is likely to be stopped at the post-synaptic neuron, it is called an inhibitory synapse.
• For example, GABA AND Serotonin are examples of inhibitory neurotransmitters they are the nervous systems ‘off switches’ in that they decrease the likelihood of neurons firing

Question 3

Excitatory Potentials:

Answer 3

• Excitation occurs when receptor stimulation results in an increase in the positive charge of the postsynaptic neuron which increases the likelihood of the neuron firing.
• For example,noradrenaline is an example of an excitatory neurotransmitter as a result, it is the ‘on switch’ of the nervous system this increases the likelihood that an excitatory signal is sent to the post-synaptic cell, which is then more likely to fire.

Question 4

summation

Answer 4

• The excitatory and inhibitory influences on the post-synaptic neuron are summed (added together)
• net effect post-synaptic is inhibitory = the neuron will be less likely to ‘fire’
• net effect is excitatory, = the neuron will be more likely to ‘fire.’

Question 5

explain synaptic transmission

Answer 5

• The process of synaptic transmission is when one neuron communicates with another.
• An electrical impulse, or action potential, will travel down the axon and reach the end of the neuron (the axon terminal).
• This is where vesicles containing neurotransmitters (chemical messengers) are. When the action potential reaches the vesicles
• it triggers them to release their neurotransmitters which will travel across the synaptic gap and bind to receptors on the membrane of the post-synaptic neuron.
• The neurotransmitters will then cause either excitation (depolarisation) or inhibition (hyper polarisation) in the post-synaptic receptors.