Synaptic transmission

Question 1

what reaches the axon terminal in the pre-synaptic neuron

Answer 1

action potential

Question 2

what does action potential cause

Answer 2

vesicles to release neurotransmitters from the pre-synaptic neuron

Question 3

what does the neurotransmitter do after its been released from the pre-synaptic neuron

Answer 3

it diffuses across the synaptic gap from the pre-synaptic neuron to the post-synaptic neuron

Question 4

what does the neurotransmitter bind to

Answer 4

specialised receptor sites

Question 5

what do neurotransmitters produce once activated after binding to specialized receptor sites

Answer 5

it produces an excitatory or inhibitory effect

Question 6

what do excitatory neurotransmitters bind with to cause

Answer 6

the post-synaptic receptor causes an electrical charge in the membrane (excitatory post-synaptic potential)

Question 7

what does excitatory post-synaptic potential increase

Answer 7

increases the post-synaptic neurons chance of firing

Question 8

what does inhibitory neurotransmitters bind with to cause

Answer 8

the post-synaptic receptor causes an electrical charge in the membrane (inhibitory post-synaptic potential)

Question 9

what does inhibitory post-synaptic potential decrease

Answer 9

decreases the post-synaptic neurons chance of firing

Question 10

what happens to the neurotransmitters after the effect has finished

Answer 10

neurotransmitters return to the pre-synaptic neuron via reuptake ready to then fire again

Question 11

how is the post-synaptic neuron affected by many neurons

Answer 11

its chance of firing is the result of whether excitatory and inhibitory potentials

Question 12

what does it mean if the excitatory potential outweighs the inhibitory potential

Answer 12

the neuron WILL fire

Question 13

what does it mean if the inhibitory potential outweighs the excitatory potential

Answer 13

the neuron WILL NOT fire