Block 4

Question 1

post-synaptic region is a ___ excitable domain

Answer 1

chemically

Question 2

the signal that open gates is a ___ signal

Answer 2

chemical

Question 3

conductance of ions is regulated by the presence of the ___

Answer 3

neurotransmitters

Question 4

when ions move across the post-synaptic membrane, you get ____

Answer 4

post synaptic potentials

Question 5

small and variable changes in the membrane potential

Answer 5

post synaptic potentials

Question 6

PSPs are produced by __, __, __, and __ channels

Answer 6

sodium, potassium, calcium, chloride

Question 7

acquisition of positive e-charge in the post-synaptic neuron; helps axon hillock reach threshold

Answer 7

excitatory post-synaptic potential

Question 8

acquisition or maintenance of a negative e-charge in the post-synaptic neuron; prevents the axon hillock from reaching threshold

Answer 8

inhibitory post-synaptic potential

Question 9

postsynaptic increase in sodium and calcium conductance, decrease in potassium conductance, creates the ___ effect in the __ postsynaptic potential

Answer 9

excitatory

Question 10

postsynaptic increase in potassium and chloride conductance creates the ___ effect in ___ postsynaptic potential

Answer 10

inhibitory

Question 11

___ tends to hold membrane potential near its equilibrium potential, blocking depolarizing influence so it is considered inhibitory in nature

Answer 11

chloride

Question 12

short circuits other positive influences in the area

Answer 12

chloride shunt

Question 13

GABA receptor is a __ channel

Answer 13

chloride

Question 14

dendritic reduction of all synaptic influences into action potential; sum of all positive and negative signals in the cell, with spatial and temporal summation taken into account

Answer 14

integration

Question 15

synapses closer to the ___ are more influential

Answer 15

axon hillock

Question 16

adding together of all EPSPs and IPSPs over space; closer to axon hillock, more influential

Answer 16

spatial summation

Question 17

adding together of EPSPs and IPSPs over time; repetitive activation affects synaptic influence

Answer 17

temporal summation

Question 18

the concept that a strong IPSP and EPSP will cancel each other

Answer 18

bidirectional

Question 19

True or false: more IPSPs occur than EPSPs

Answer 19

true

Question 20

IPSPs often occur in the absence of ___

Answer 20

excitation

Question 21

a neurotransmitter receptor linked to a neighboring ion channel by an intracellular signaling molecule

Answer 21

metabotropic neurotransmitter receptor

Question 22

___ binding site in a metabotropic receptor activated an intracellular signaling molecule when the binding site is occupied by a neurotransmitter

Answer 22

ligand

Question 23

used to open gates when the binding site is occupied by a neurotransmitter in metabotropic receptors

Answer 23

intracellular signaling molecule

Question 24

a neurotransmitter receptor that is a neurotransmitter-gated ion channel

Answer 24

ionotropic neurotransmitter receptor

Question 25

ionotropic neurotransmitter receptors possess a __ binding site and a __ that opens or closes when binding site is occupied by a neurotransmitter

Answer 25

ligand; gate

Question 26

examples of ionotropic neurotransmitter receptors

Answer 26

nicotinic acetylcholine, GABA receptors

Question 27

molecule that binds to a receptor

Answer 27

ligand

Question 28

the concept of neurotransmitters rapidly bouncing on and off of neurotransmitter receptors

Answer 28

continuum of efficacy

Question 29

how fast a ligand binds to a receptor

Answer 29

affinity

Question 30

how biologically effective a ligand is once bound to a receptor

Answer 30

potency

Question 31

ligands that bind to a receptor and activate it biologically; produce PSP in target neuron

Answer 31

agonist

Question 32

ligands that bind to a receptor but do not activate it biologically; high affinity so receptor is literally blocked from functioning

Answer 32

antagonists

Question 33

all antagonists are ___

Answer 33

exogenous (not created by the body)

Question 34

excitation/inhibition are properties of the ___

Answer 34

receptor

Question 35

nature of synaptic potential is determined by the ___ by which receptor it chooses to use

Answer 35

post-synaptic cell

Question 36

bind to a receptor in a different location than agonists and antagonists; increase affinity for binding to a ligand

Answer 36

allosteric modifiers

Question 37

synthesized in the pre-synaptic terminal by ChAT, which fuses acetate and choline together

Answer 37

acetylcholine

Question 38

ChAT

Answer 38

cholineacetyltransferase

Question 39

receptors become less responsive to presence of the agonist; used to terminate ACh stimulated PSPs

Answer 39

desensitization

Question 40

moving away from synaptic cleft; used to terminate ACh stimulated PSPs

Answer 40

diffusion

Question 41

enzymes __ the transmitter molecule; used to terminate ACh stimulated PSPs

Answer 41

break down

Question 42

enzyme used in ACh breakdown

Answer 42

acetylcholinesterase

Question 43

naturally occurring drug that blocks AChE

Answer 43

physostigmine

Question 44

manmade AChE blockers

Answer 44

insecticides

Question 45

ACh acts at the interface between nerve and muscle called the ___

Answer 45

neuromuscular junction

Question 46

most commonly employed neurotransmitter in the brain; produces inhibition by activating a gK or more often a gCl

Answer 46

GABA

Question 47

neurotransmitter synthesized from glutamate by glutamic acid decarboxylase

Answer 47

GABA

Question 48

recycles GABA back to glutamate for reuptake and use

Answer 48

GABA transaminase

Question 49

at least 2 ___ binding sites on the GABA receptor, one site for benzodiazepines and another for barbiturates

Answer 49

allosteric

Question 50

majority of synapses in the brain are inhibitory, therefore are ___

Answer 50

GABAergic

Question 51

many synapses use ___, using GABA to block synaptic terminal from incoming action potentials

Answer 51

presynaptic inhibition

Question 52

GABA antagonists produce ___

Answer 52

excitation

Question 53

loss of GABA producing neurons causes ___, which is treated by ___

Answer 53

epilepsy; GABA allosteric agonists

Question 54

chemically similar to GABA, but mediates more excitation in the brain

Answer 54

glutamate

Question 55

__ and __ are main excitatory neurotransmitters; both are present in all cells as amino acids

Answer 55

glutamate and aspartate

Question 56

glutamate/aspartate mediated cell death

Answer 56

excitotoxicity

Question 57

important amino acid for inhibition, especially in the spinal cord, where it is used instead of GABA

Answer 57

glycine

Question 58

glycine is blocked by ___, causes spinal seizures

Answer 58

strychnine

Question 59

synthesized from the amino acid precursor tyrosine

Answer 59

catechloamines

Question 60

rate limiting enzyme that synthesizes DA, NE, and E from tyrosine; produces negative feedback and shuts off DA and NE synthesis

Answer 60

tryosine hydroxylase (TOH)

Question 61

synthesized from the amino acid precursor tryptophan

Answer 61

indolamines

Question 62

enzyme that synthesizes the neurotransmitter DA from L-Dopa, also responsible for producing serotonin

Answer 62

5HTP Decarboxylase = AAA decarboxylase

Question 63

a long chain of amino acids is called a __, a short chain is a __

Answer 63

protein; peptide

Question 64

peptides released into the brain and used as a neurochemical signal between neurons

Answer 64

peptide neurotransmitters

Question 65

peptides released from the brain into the blood stream acting as neurochemical signals between brain and body

Answer 65

peptide hormones

Question 66

how peptides are synthesized and packaged into vesicles in the soma and sent down the axon to synaptic terminal

Answer 66

orthograde axoplasmic transport

Question 67

peptide transmitters are metabolically expensive, so they tend to act at low concentrations for a long period of time, so they are called ___

Answer 67

neuromodulators

Question 68

family of peptides that act as natural pain killers

Answer 68

endorphins/enkephalins

Question 69

peptides involved in social recognition, aggression, nurturing, affiliation, water retention, and other CNS functions

Answer 69

vasopressin and oxytocin

Question 70

peptides are often __ (released with other neurotransmitters)

Answer 70

co-transmitters

Question 71

substance that acts by modifying the affinity of a receptor for another transmitter (allosteric modification)

Answer 71

neuromodulator