topic 1 video 3 (communication between cells)

Question 1

what 4 types of synapses are there?

Answer 1

axoaxonic synapse
axodendritic synapse
axospinous synapse (connection with the dendritic spine)
axoaxonic synapse
axosecretory synapse (where the synapse connects directly to the blood vessels and secretes its contents directly into the blood)

Question 2

what is the most common type of synapse?

Answer 2

axodendritic synapse

Question 3

what is an example of how microglia can detect dying neurons?

Answer 3

• a neuron is dying
• this stress activates a molecular pathway which causes a protein (phosphotidyl serine) in the membrane to flip to being exposed outside of the membrane
• a nearby microglial cells detects this through its protein receptor
• the microglia begins to set in motion changes in its gene expression and other protein signalling pathways
• this leads to a change in shape of the microglia allowing it to engulf the dying neuronal cell