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Anatomy > 4c Chemical Structures Of Neurotransmitters > Flashcards

4c Chemical Structures Of Neurotransmitters Flashcards

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1
Q

What are the neurotransmitters we are responsible for?

A

Adrenaline
Noradrenaline
Serotonin
Acetylcholine
GABA (gamma-aminobutyric acid)

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2
Q

What makes epinephrine/adrenaline and norepinephrine/noradrenaline special?

A

They can act as hormones and neurotransmitters

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3
Q

What effect does an excitatory neurotransmitter have on a post synaptic cell? Inhibitory?

A

Excitatory: causes the post synaptic cell to depolarize (more positive Na+ ions enter) and leads to a positive membrane potential
Inhibitory: causes the post synaptic cell to hyperpolarize (prevents + ions from entering and/or allows - ions to enter)

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4
Q

How can neurons be classified?

A

According to the neurotransmitter released at the presynaptic axon terminal
Ex. Neurons that release serotonin form serotonergic synapses

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5
Q

Describe the direct mechanism of water based neurotransmitter action.

A

Direct-> ligand gated ion channels
1. Neurotransmitter binds to the ion channel, opening it
2. Ions follow the gradient and enter (usually Na+ or Ca2+ or both)
3. Ions flow across the membrane which leads to depolarization

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6
Q

Describe the indirect mechanism of water based neurotransmitter action?

A

G-protein coupled receptors
1. Neurotransmitter binds to receptor
2. Receptor activates g-protein on inside of membrane
3. G-protein subunits or intracellular messagers regulate ion channels
4. The ion channels open and ions flow

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7
Q

Is acetylcholine excitatory or inhibitory or both?

A

Mostly excitatory but inhibitory at neuromuscular synapses with the heart

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8
Q

Where is the neurotransmitter acetylcholine found?

A

CNS: throughout the brain
PNS: neuromuscular junction (voluntary muscle), sympathetic nervous system, parasympathetic nervous system

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9
Q

Is norepinephrine excitatory or inhibitory and what is it involved in?

A

Excitatory
Involved in: attention/consciousness, temperature control, pituitary gland secretion

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10
Q

Where is norepinephrine found?

A

CNS: brain, spinal cord
PNS: neuromuscular tissue and neuroglandular junctions of the sympathetic nervous system

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11
Q

Is dopamine excitatory or inhibitory?

A

Excitatory (amplified by cocaine)
Inhibitory (involved in precise movement control)

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12
Q

Where is dopamine found?

A

CNS: hypothalamus, midbrain, limbic system, cerebral cortex, retina

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13
Q

Is serotonin excitatory or inhibitory and what does it affect?

A

Both
Attention and emotional states

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14
Q

What is an example of a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor?

A

Ecstasy

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15
Q

What does SSRI stand for?

A

Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitor?

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16
Q

What causes depression?

A

Low levels of serotonin OR serotonin left too long leading to less sensitivity of neurotransmitters

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17
Q

Where is serotonin found?

A

CNS: hypothalamus, cerebellum, spinal cord, retina

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18
Q

Is GABA inhibitory or excitatory and what effect does it have?

A

Inhibitory
Anti-anxiety effect

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19
Q

What does GABA stand for?

A

gamma aminobutyric acid

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20
Q

Where is GABA found?

A

CNS: cerebral cortex, cerebellum, interneurons in spinal cord

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21
Q

Is Glutamate excitatory or inhibitory and what does it affect?

A

Excitatory
Important in memory and learning

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22
Q

Where is glutamate found?

A

CNS: cerebral cortex brainstem

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23
Q

What is the main excitatory neurotransmitter in the brain?

A

Glutamate

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24
Q

Where is acetylcholine excitatory?

A

Neuromuscular junctions with skeletal muscle and smooth muscle of the intestines

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25
Where is acetylcholine inhibitory?
Between the vagus nerve and cardiac muscles
26
What do you call synapses where acetylcholine is released
Cholinergic
27
What’s the difference between the types of cholinergic synapses?
The structure of the receptors If it finds the nicotine receptor, you get muscle contraction If it finds the muscarinic receptor, it slows the heart rate
28
What do you call synapses where norepinephrine is released?
Adrenergic
29
The veins in your face have what kind of receptors?
Beta adrenergic receptors (for norepinephrine)
30
What kind of receptors do most of the veins in your body have?
Alpha adrenergic receptors
31
What’s the difference between alpha and beta adrenergic receptors?
Activated beta adrenergic receptors cause blood vessels to dilate, heating the skin and causing blushing Activated alpha adrenergic receptors cause blood vessels to constrict and shunt blood towards the heart and away from the skin in fight or flight response
32
What is an agonist in the context of the nervous system?
A drug that mimics the effect of a neurotransmitter
33
What is an antagonist in the context of the nervous system?
A drug that blocks the effect of the neurotransmitter
34
Why do agonists work?
They have the same shape as the normal neurotransmitter and therefore can be detected by the same receptor
35
How do antagonists work?
The drug is close enough in shape to bind to the receptor but not close enough to produce an effect This allows it to take up receptor space and prevents the neurotransmitter from actually binding to its site
36
What are the two kinds of antagonists and how do they differ?
Reversible: bind to the receptor in a non-permanent way Irreversible: binds in a permanent way, can result in a permanent change in receptor, stopping it from binding to future ligands even after it detaches
37
What are the agonists of acetylcholine and what do they do?
Nicotine: It activates muscles to contract when it meets the nicotinic receptor Muscarine: slows down your heart rate when bound to muscarine receptor
38
What molecules does the nicotinic receptor recognize?
Nicotine and acetylcholine and curare
39
What are the antagonists of acetylcholine and what do they do?
Curare: Prevents muscles from contracting when bound to the nicotinic receptor Atropine: speeds up the heart rate when bound to muscarinic receptor
40
What molecules does the muscarinic receptor recognize?
Acetylcholine, muscarine and atropine
41
What does acetylcholine control and what are the associated agonists and antagonists?
Activates muscle contractions: nicotine is agonist and curare is antagonist Lowers heart rate: muscarine is agonist and atropine is agonist
42
How can drugs act on neurotransmitters?
As agonists, antagonists, indirect agonists and indirect antagonists
43
What does a indirect agonist do?
Enhances neurotransmitter actions Does not directly bind to receptor site to promote the action done by neurotransmitter but does something else that enhances the effect of the neurotransmitter, like maybe affecting the supply
44
What do indirect antagonists do?
Inhibit release or production of a neurotransmitter Does not directly bind to receptor site
45
What are the different diseases we are responsible for?
Alzheimer’s disease Clinical depression Parkinson’s disease
46
What characterizes Alzheimer’s disease?
It’s associated with decreased levels of acetylcholine Progressive disease that destroys memory and other cognitive function
47
What characterizes clinical depression?
Decreased levels of serotonin, dopamine and norepinephrine Persistent feeling of sadness and loss of interest, leads to emotional and physical problems On a brain scan its mostly Blue, looks inactive
48
What characterizes Parkinson’s disease?
Associated with decreased levels of dopamine Affects nerve cells that produce dopamine Symptoms: muscle rigidity, tremors, changes in speech and gait
49
Whaat does Alzheimer’s look like on a brain scan?
Big hollow black region in middle of the brain as opposed to brighter colours indicating brain activity Result of brain atrophy
50
What are reflexes?
Rapid, predictable and involuntary motor responses to stimuli Unlearned and unpremeditated, may be considered to be built in to our neural anatomy
51
How do reflexes occur?
Over neural pathways called reflex arcs
52
What are the types of reflexes?
Somatic reflexes Autonomic reflexes
53
What characterizes somatic reflexes?
Réflexes that stimulate the skeletal muscles Involuntary (even though skeletal muscle is usually under voluntary control
54
What characterizes autonomic reflexes?
Regulate activity of smooth muscles, heart and glands (involuntary aspects)
55
What are the steps to a reflex arc?
1. Sensory Receptor: reacts to stimulus 2. Sensory neuron: carries message to the integration center 3. Integration center: processes information and directs motor output 4. Motor neuron: carries message to an effector 5 Effector organ: muscle or gland to be stimulated
56
What is a two neuron reflex arc and what makes it different?
Simplest type of reflex arc, very fast No interneurons
57
What is an example of a two neuron reflex and explain?
Patellar reflex -Sensory proprioceptor senses stretch of when patellar tendon is tapped -afférent nerve impulse travels along sensory neuron to spinal cord -synapses with motor neuron -efferent impulse travels along motor neuron to the effector muscle which contracts the quadriceps
58
What is a three neuron reflex arc and what makes it different?
Slower than 2 neuron, but still very fast This one does have an interneuron
59
What is an example of a three neuron reflex arc?
Flexor (withdrawal) reflex
60
Why is the two neuron pathway shorter in time than the three neuron pathway?
The less neurons there are, the shorter the pathway, the quicker the signals and information can be conveyed
61
What is a flexor reflex?
Type of three neuron reflex Comes from the detection of a painful stimulus by the cutaneous sensory receptor Response to pain
62
What are the steps of a flexor reflex arc?
painful stimulus is sensed by cutaneous sensory receptor Sensory info is sent to spinal cord via sensory neuron Synapses with interneuron Interneuron synapses with motor neuron Efferent impulse then travels along a motor neuron to a muscle
63
Where does the interneuron synapse with a motor neuron?
In the spinal cords gray matter
64
What is one of the more complicated reflexes?
Emesis (vomiting) reflex
65
Why do we test our reflexes?
To test the integrity of the nervous system, its ability to integrate information
66
The spinal cord is cut off from the brain. Is the patellar reflex still intact?
Yes, the control center of this two neuron pathway is in the spinal cord

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