Chapter 5 Pt.1

Question 1

What marked the beginning of research into how chemicals carry information from one neuron to another in the nervous system

Answer 1

Otto Loewi’s successful heartbeat experiment

Question 2

Loewi was the first person to isolate a chemical messenger, what is this messenger called and what does it do

Answer 2

The chemical messenger is acetylcholine (ACh) , and it actives the skeletal muscles, but in the heartbeat experiment, ACh acts to inhibit the heartbeat (slow it down)

Question 3

What does ach do to skeletal muscles?

Answer 3

It excites the skeletal muscles in the somatic nervous system, causing them to contract

Question 4

How does ach both excite or inhibit various internal organs in the autonomic system?

Answer 4

The ion channel and its associated receptor determine whether the messenger will be excitatory or inhibitory.

Question 5

What is epinephrine (adrenaline)?

Answer 5

A substance produced by the adrenal glands that acts as a neurotransmitter and hormone that mobilizes the body for fight or flight

Question 6

What are neurotransmitters?

Answer 6

A chemical with an excitatory or inhibitory effect when released by a neuron onto a target.

Question 7

The results of Loews experiments showed that __________ from the vagus nerve inhibits heartbeat, whereas __________ from the accelerator nerve excites it

Answer 7

Acetylcholine, epinephrine

Question 8

In mammals, the chemical that accelerates heart rate is called ______________.?

Answer 8

Norepinephrine

Question 9

Neurons that secrete acetylcholine are called ________ neurons, those that secrete epinephrine are known as _________ adrenergic neurons, and those that secrete norepinephrine are called _________ (NA neurons)

Answer 9

Cholinergic, adrenergic, and noragrenergic neutrons.

Question 10

What releases hormones into the bloodstream to excite or inhibit targets?

Answer 10

The pituitary gland, controlled by the hypothalamus

Question 11

What is an example of how neurotransmitters and hormones can be chemically identical?

Answer 11

When epinephrine is synthesized by a neutron and influences another neuron, its called a neurotransmitter, but when its synthesized by the adrenal gland and increases heart rate, its called a hormone.

Question 12

How can you tell the difference between neurotransmitters and hormones

Answer 12

From the distance they travel From their release point to the receptor

Question 13

How many neurotransmitters are there?

Answer 13

60

Question 14

Where are neurotransmitters located?

Answer 14

The axon terminal (packaged into vesicles)

Question 15

What are synaptic vesicles?

Answer 15

A compartment in the neuron that contains neurotransmitter molecules

Question 16

What is the small space that separates the terminal and the dendrite?

Answer 16

The synaptic cleft, neurotransmitter chemicals must bridge this gap to carry a message From one neuron to the next

Question 17

What is the function of a mitochondrion?

Answer 17

It provides the cell with energy

Question 18

What is the function of a postsynaptic receptor?

Answer 18

The area where a neurotransmitter molecule binds

Question 19

What is a chemical synapse?

Answer 19

Where messenger molecules are released when stimulated by an action potential

Question 20

What is a synapse?

Answer 20

The places where nurons connect and communicate with each other

Question 21

What is an astrocyte?

Answer 21

A large star shaped cell that holds nerve cells in place

Question 22

Astrocytes contribute to chemical neurotransmissions in what 3 ways?

Answer 22

They supply building blocks for neurotransmitter synthesis, confine movement of neurotransmitters to the synapse, and mop up excess neurotransmitter molecules.

Question 23

What is the difference between the presynaptic and postsynaptic neuron

Answer 23

The presynaptic membrane forms the axon terminal, and the postsynaptic membrane forms the dendritic spine

Question 24

The integration and physical proximity of the presynaptic membrane, postsynaptic membrane, and their association with surrounding astrocytes make up what’s known as the ___________ __________.

Answer 24

Tripartite synapse

Question 25

What is the Anterograde synaptic transmission 5-step process?

Answer 25

Its a process of transmitting information across a chemical synapse from the presynaptic side to the postsynaptic neuron