Brainscape's Knowledge GenomeTM


Top Flashcards (Certified)
All Flashcards

BIOL 367 > Neural Communication > Flashcards

Neural Communication Flashcards

(103 cards)

Start Studying
1
Q

How does the presence or absence of channels with differing properties affect neurons?

A

1) how they fire to brief or continuous stimulation

2) how excitable or non-excitable in general

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
2
Q

How can the properties of channels within a neuron be changed and what is the consequence?

A

post-translational modifications (like phosphorylation) which change how the neurons respond to stimuli or how well they signal to other neurons

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
3
Q

How does the diversity of electrical properties arise?

A

1) from a diversity of ion channel types

2) post-translational modifications

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
4
Q

What are some ion-specific and ligand-gated channels formed from?

A

different combinations of channel forming subunits

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
5
Q

What associates with channel forming subunits?

A

diversity of modifying subunits

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
6
Q

What is the basis of many types of neuromodulation?

A

post-translational modifications (primarily phophorylation)

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
7
Q

What are K channels composed of?

A

4 separate subunits clustered together (diversity of subunits and sub-types of subunits)

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
8
Q

What is a selectivity filter?

A

makes each channel specific to one type of ion

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
9
Q

What is “water of hydration”?

A

water that is combined with other molecules to form a hydrate mineral

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
10
Q

What must a potassium do to pass through a potassium channel?

A

remove all of its surrounding water molecules except two (one on front and one on back)

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
11
Q

What must a sodium do to pass through a sodium channel?

A

sodium ion can pass through with up to three water molecules

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
12
Q

What is the “delayed rectifier” family of K channels?

A

V2.1

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
13
Q

What is the transient family of K channels?

A

V4.1 (also called “A” or IA channels)

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
14
Q

What do the ligand-gated K channels respond to?

A

1) Ca
2) combined Ca and V-dep
3) chemical changes (pH)

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
15
Q

What are the calcium activated K channels?

A

1) BK channel (Big g)
2) SK channel (Small g)
3) IK channel (intermediate g)

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
16
Q

What is the notation of the BK channels and what is there defining characteristic?

A
  • KCa1.x

- also voltage sensitive over a physiologically relevant range

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
17
Q

What is the notation of the SK channels and what is there defining characteristic?

A
  • KCa2.x

- blocked by apamin (component of bee venom)

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
18
Q

What is the notation of IK channels and what do some consider them to be?

A
  • KCa3.1
  • some consider these a sub-type of SK
  • not blocked by apamin
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
19
Q

Which ligand-gated ion channels have an external ligand?

A

1) neurotransmitter receptor

2) acid sensing ion channel

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
20
Q

Which ligand-gated ion channels have an internal ligand?

A

1) Calcium activated K+ channels

2) Cyclic nucleotide gated channels

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
21
Q

What are statocyst hair cells an example of?

A

how channel properties can create complex electrical properties

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
22
Q

Is the affinity for Ca high or low for CaK channels in statocyst hair cells?

A

low affinity for Ca

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
23
Q

Are Ca channels and K channels tightly or loosely co-localized in statocyst hair cells?

A

tightly co-localized

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
24
Q

Why is there a low affinity for Ca?

A

allows Ca to diffuse and potassium channels to close

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
25
Why is there tight co-localization between Ca and K channels?
creates a calcium domain so that CaK channels may open (since diffusion takes time)
26
What are the voltage-gated calcium channel families?
1) Cav 1.x: "L-type" 2) Cav 2.1: "P-type" 3) Cav 2.2: "N-type" 4) Cav 2.3: "R-type" 5) Cav 3.x: "T-type"
27
What are the characteristics of Cav1.x (L-type)?
1) blocked by dihrdropyridines | 2) medium speed, moderate inactivation
28
What are the characteristics of Cav 2.1 (P-type)?
1) blocked by agatoxin from funnel web spider | 2) fast open, little to no inactivation
29
What are the characteristics of Cav 2.2 (N-type)?
1) blocked by conotoxin GVII from cone snail | 2) fast open, little to no inactivation
30
What are the characteristics of Cav 2.3 (R-type)?
1) resistant to blockers of P and N | 2) fast, little to no inactivation
31
What are the characteristics of Cav 3.x (T-type)?
1) blocked by Ni2+ ions, synthetic blockers 2) slowest opening, very inactivating 3) low voltage activated
32
Which voltage gated calcium channel family is commonly used for fast neurotransmission?
Cav 2.1, Cav 2.2, Cav 2.3
33
What can many beta subunits do?
act to modify gating properties (e.g. inactivation)
34
What can change the opening probability?
phosphorylation
35
What is the "simplest bursting neuron"?
a central pattern generator with all inhibitory neurons that are driven by excitatory outside neurons
36
What 3 currents does a simplest bursting neuron need?
1) persistent Na current 2) voltage gated Ca 3) Ca dependent K
37
What would happen if you add Ca buffer to a simplest bursting neuron?
the cell would keep firing
38
What are some Na channel toxins?
1) tetrodotoxin (puffer fish) | 2) saxitoxin (marine dinoflagellates)
39
What are some K channel toxins?
1) dendrotoxin (snake) 2) charybdotoxin (scorpion) 3) batrachotoxin (frog)
40
What does alpha-toxin from Leiurus scorpion do?
delays Na+ channel inactivation
41
What can toxins from venoms do?
block channels, lock them open, a or alter their activation or inactivation kinetics
42
What does the toxin apamin from bees do?
1) blocks SK Ca activated K channels 2) affects the afterhyperpolarization (reduces it) which in turn can affect firing rate/excitability of neuron to sustained input
43
What are "chnnelopathies"?
diseases caused by mutation in voltage gated channels (Na K, Ca channels)
44
What occurs during "generalized epilepsy with febrile seizures"?
slowing of Na+ channel inactivation leads to neuronal hyperexcitability
45
What happens during "benign familial neonatal convulsions"?
1) frequent seizures within the first week of life disappearing spontaneously within a few months 2) affects K+ channels
46
What is myotonia and what channel does it affect?
1) muscle weakness | 2) Cl- channel
47
What are the main two categories of neurotransmitters?
1) small molecule | 2) peptide
48
What are the classes of neurotransmitter molecules under "small molecule"?
1) Acetylcholine 2) Amino acids 3) Purines 4) Biogenic amines
49
What are the neurotransmitters classified as amino acids?
1) glutamate 2) aspartate 3) GABA 4) Glycine
50
What is the neurotransmitter classified under purines?
ATP
51
What are the subclasses of neurotransmitters under biogenic amines?
1) Catecholamines a) dopamine b) norepinephrine c) epinephrine 2) Indoleamine a) serotonin (5-HT) 3) Imidazoleamine a) histamine
52
Which small molecule transmitters are not contained in vesicles and why?
1) endocannabinoids (lipid soluble) 2) nitric oxide (gas) 3) carbon monoside (gas) 4) adenosine (made from ATP in extracellular space)
53
What are peptide neurotransmitters composed of?
more than 100 peptides, usually 3-30 amino acids long
54
Where are peptide neurotransmitters produced?
made in cell body because they need ER and golgi for production
55
What are the steps in acetylocholine production?
1) glucose -> pyruvate 2) pyruvate -> acetyl CoA (in mitochondria) 3) Acetyl CoA + Choline -> acetylocholine (using chline acetyl-transferase)
56
How is choline brought into the cell?
Na+/choline transporter
57
How is acetylcholine degraded after use?
1) turned into acetate and choline by acetylcholinesterase | 2) choline taken up by transporter for reuse
58
Where does acetylcholine production take place?
In the presynaptic terminal
59
What is the transport system to load vesicles?
1) proton-pumping ATPase | 2) exchange of nt and H+
60
What are examples of toxins that bind postsynaptic receptors?
1) bungarotoxin 2) epibatidine 3) conotoxins 4) betel nut
61
What is bungarotoxin from and what does it do?
1) cobra alpha neurotoxin | 2) nACh antagonists
62
What is epibaidine from and what does it do?
1) ecuadoran frog | 2) nicotinic and muscarinic AChR
63
What is conotoxin from and what does it do?
1) several peptides from cone snail | 2) some block presynaptic Ca channels but many also block postsynaptic Gky- and ACh receptors
64
What is the betel nut toxin and what does it do?
1) arecoline | 2) muscarinic AChR agonist
65
What is the general architecture of ligand-gated receptors?
1) 5 subunits 2) need alpha 3) pore
66
What specifications in structure do acetylcholine (nACh) receptors need?
need 2 alpha subunits, need two nt to bind to open
67
What is the effect of needing two binding alpha subunits?
more sensitive to higher concentration because of increase in probability not affinity
68
What does myasthenia gravis do?
1) attacks nicotinic receptors a) reduces # of receptors b) disorganizes receptors 2) leads to muscle weakness
69
What is the treatment for myasthenia gravis?
neostigmine
70
What is the structure of metabotropic receptors?
1) g-protein coupled 2) no pore 3) neurotransmitter binding site and g-protein binding site
71
What receptor classes are metabotropic receptors?
1) glutamate 2) GABA 3) Dopamine 4) NE, Epi 5) Histamine 6) serotonin 7) purines 8) muscarinic
72
What receptor classes are ligand-gated receptors?
1) AMPA 2) NMDA 3) Kainate 4) GABA 5) Glycine 6) nACh 7) Serotonin 8) Purines
73
What are the steps in glutamate synthesis?
1) glutamine -> glutamate (using glutaminase)
74
How is glutamate taken up after being released?
1) Taken directly back into presynaptic terminal 2) taken up by glial cell a) enters cell by excitatory amino acid transporter (EAAT) b) glutamate -> glutamine (by glutamine synthetase) c) released by SN1 channel d) taken into presynaptic terminal by SAT2 channel
75
What is the voltage dependent "blocker" in NMDA receptors and how is it removed?
Mg2+ | needs to bind two glutamates and be depolarized
76
What are NMDA receptors dependent on?
voltage and ligand dependent
77
What are the cofactors for NMDA receptors?
glycine or serine
78
Compare NMDA and AMPA.
1) AMPA is quick to turn on and off, whereas NMDA is longer lasting 2) NMDA has Ca permeability (all but one AMPA do not pass Ca)
79
What are the three classes of iono GluR?
1) NMDA 2) AMPA 3) kainate receptors
80
What is the Ca-permeant AMPA sub-type also involved in?
synaptic plasticity
81
What is the structure of AMPA receptors?
dimer of dimers: glurR2-glu-R2 + dimer of gluR1, 3 or 4
82
What does the AMPA receptor lack if it is Ca permeable?
lack gluR2
83
What is the general process of GABA synthesis?
1) glucose -> glutamate | 2) glutamate -> GABA (by glutamic acid decarboxylase and pyridoxal phosphate)
84
What is GAD?
glutamic acid decarboxylase (a marker of GABA synthesizing terminals)
85
How is GABA taken up after release?
1) directly into presynaptic terminal (GAT) and into vesicle (VIATT) 1) directly into presynaptic terminal (GAT) and to mitochondria for breakdown 3) into glial cell (GAT)
86
What is GAT?
a GABA and Na co-transporter
87
What is the process of glycine synthesis?
1) glucose -> serine | 2) serine -> glycine (by serine hydroxymethyltransferase)
88
How is glycine taken up after being released?
1) directly into presynaptic terminal by glycine-Na transporter 2) into glial cell by glycine-Na transporter
89
What do many of the sites where ligands can bind cause?
modulation of receptor function (potentiate or block)
90
What binding sites modulate efficacy of GABA binding?
1) barbiturates 2) steroids 3) picrotoxin
91
What ions flow through GABA receptors?
chloride ions
92
What happens when GABA is increased?
shut off neurons (inhibitory except in early development because of different chloride transporters)
93
Which site is very addictive?
barbiturate site
94
What are some clues in the "Mother's Little Helper" song?
1) little yellow pill 2) tranquilize 3) help through the night 4) overdose
95
What pill might they be talking about in "Mother's Little Helper"?
1) Valium 2) Meprobamate 3) Carodosoprodol
96
Why is GABA excitatory in immature neurons and inhibitory in mature neurons?
1) high concentration of Cl inside the cell (immature) so Cl leaves and causes depolarization 2) low concentration of Cl inside causes Cl to enter and hyperpolarize (mature)
97
What are the steps in the biosynthetic pathway for catecholamine nts?
1) Tyrosine -> Dihydroxyphenylalanine (DOPA) (by O2 + tyrosine hydroxylase) 2) DOPA -> dopamine (by -CO2, DOPA decarboxylase) 3) dopamine -> norepineprine (by O2 + dopamine-beta hydroxylase) 4) norepinephrine -> epinephrine (by RCH3+ phenylethanol-amine N-methyl-transferase)
98
What is the rate limiting step in the biosynthetic pathway for catecholamine nts?
tyrosine hydroxylase (if increased the amount of synthesis increases)
99
What is the drug L-DOPA used for?
help increase the amount of dopamine synthesized by neurons as a therapy for Parkinson's
100
Where are catecholamines released from?
relatively small groups of neurons in hindbrain/brainstem and project
101
What is the process of the synthesis of histamine?
histidine -> histamine (by -CO2, histidine decarboxlyase)
102
What is the process of the synthesis of serotonin?
1) Tryptophan -> 5-Hydroxytryptophan (by O2 + tryptophan-5-hydroxylase) 2) 5-hydroxytryptophan -> serotonin (5-hydroxytryptamine) (by -CO2, aromatic L-amino acod decarboxylase)
103
What are the effects of tetrahydrocannabinol (THC)?
motor learning, synaptic plasticity, memory/learning, appetite, pain sensation, mood

BIOL 367 (4 decks)

Brainscape helps you reach your goals faster, through stronger study habits.
© 2025 Bold Learning Solutions. Terms and Conditions