The Process Of Synaptic Transmission

Question 1

Describe what is meant by neurotransmitters

Answer 1

• chemical messengers within brain
• transmits info from one neuron to another so a person performs an actiom or emotional response
• this is called synaptic transmission

Question 2

Describe the beginning of the process synaptic transmission

Answer 2

• begins in presynaptic neuron
• action potentials are sent down axon until they reach the presynaptic terminal

Question 3

Describe the middle of the process synaptic transmission

Answer 3

• this causes nts stored in vesicles, only located in the presynaptic neuron to be released into synaptic cleft
• nts then diffuse across synapse from a high to low conc
• then bind with specific receptor sites only present on post synaptic neuron

Question 4

Describe the end of the process synaptic transmission

Answer 4

• once enough nts have att to receptor sites, either the next neuron is ready to fire an impulse, depending on whether nts has an excitatory or inhibitory effect
• or the nts are recycled via reuptake to be stored back in vesicles located on presynaptic neuron

Question 5

What are excitatory or inhibitory effects? (Intro)

Answer 5

Nts can have an effect on the next neuron, these effects can be excitatory or inhibitory

Question 5

What can be used to change levels of nts and how?

Answer 5

Drugs can be used to inc or dec levels of nts by inc or dec transmission of nts across synapse

Question 5

Describe what is meant by an excitatory nts e.g. adrenaline

Answer 5

• when excitatory nts binds to post synaptic receptors, the post synaptic cell in next neuron becomes pos charged
• makes it more likely that post synaptic cell will send/fire impulse down its axon
• inc brain activity in CNS

Question 5

Describe what is meant by an inhibitory nts e.g. seretonin

Answer 5

• when inhibitory nts binds to post synaptic receptors, the post synaptic cell in next neuron becomes neg charged
• prevents or makes it less likely that post synaptic cell will send/fire impulse down its axon
• dec brain activity in CNS

Question 6

Describe what is meant by summation

Answer 6

• summation occurs when excitatory and inhibitory influences are added together
• if overall effect is mainly inh/neg charged , reduces likelihood neuron will fire impulse down post synaptic neuron
• however if its mainly exc/pos charged, impulse will fire down post synaptic neuron

Question 7

What do you have to write for a 2 or 4 marker in regards to excitatory/inhibitory and summation?

Answer 7

2 MARKER = excitatory/inhibitory
4 MARKER = excitatory/inhibitory and summation