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psy290: neuroscience > week 6 > Flashcards

week 6 Flashcards

1
Q

describe loewi’s experiments regarding electrical/chemical neurotransmission

A
  • dissected frog heart and put it in a chamber.
  • while still beating, stimulated vagus nerve w electrical conduction and monitored contraction magnitude + frequency.
  • initially, reliable contractions. but with time, magnitude and frequency decreased.
  • hypothesized that if chemicals are involved, each contractive force will release chemicals into chamber.
  • added water from first chamber into chamber with 2nd frog heart. frequency and magnitude lasted longer.
  • only thing modified was chemical environment that heart was beating inside of. therefore, chemicals play role in neurotransmission.
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2
Q

T or F: no neural connections use electricity

A

false – a small minority of neural connections depend on electricity.

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3
Q

name 4 types of neural connections

A
  1. axo-dendritic
  2. axo-somatic
  3. axo-axonic
  4. dendro-dendritic
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4
Q

describe the 5 steps of synaptic transmission

A
  1. AP arrives at presynaptic terminal.
  2. voltage-gated calcium channels open, and calcium ions (Ca2+) enter axon terminal.
  3. synaptic vesicles release neurotransmitters.
  4. some bind to special receptors in postsynaptic membrane.
  5. membrane depolarizes (more likely to fire AP).
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5
Q

what are the 2 basic kinds of neurotransmitter receptors? briefly describe their functions.

A
  1. ionotropic receptors: open in response to ligand, cause de/hyperpolarization. rapid and most common.
  2. metabotropic receptors: do NOT open channels – activate G proteins. influence other ionotropic receptors, activating genes and proteins. slower (minutes, weeks, years).
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6
Q

T or F: electrical synapses are flexible, indirect physical connections and transmit signals slowly.

A

false – less flexible, direct physical connections and transmit signals fast.

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7
Q

provide 2 examples of electrical synapses

A
  1. neuromuscular functions (i.e., reflexes).
  2. hypothalamus neurons (release hormones).
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8
Q

why are chemical synapses more useful than electrical synapses? (2)

A
  • allow for diff signals to be communicated (e.g., EPSPs, IPSPs).
  • flexibility (i.e., plasticity) in neural responses.
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9
Q

what are the 3 signal termination methods?

A
  1. diffuse away
  2. reuptake (recycle neurotransmitters into vesicle to be reused)
  3. enzymatic breakdown
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10
Q

what are the 5 criteria for a ligand to be called a neurotransmitter?

A
  1. synthesized in presynaptic neuron + stored in axon terminals.
  2. released when APs reach axon terminal.
  3. recognized by receptors on postsynaptic membrane.
  4. causes changes in postsynaptic cell.
  5. blocking its release interferes with effects on postsynaptic cell.
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11
Q

name 5 amines

A

serotonin
acetylcholine
norepinephrine
epinephrine
dopamine

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12
Q

name 4 amino acids

A

glutamate
glycine
GABA
histamine

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13
Q

name 6 neuropeptides

A

opioids
vasopressin
oxytocin
insulin
substance P
neuropeptide Y

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14
Q

T or F: gases like CO and NO are neurotransmitters? (3)

A
  • depends on who you ask!
  • NOT synthesized in presynaptic terminals/stored in presynaptic vesicles.
  • stored in postsynaptic side – can be produced in body – and can be released by post back into pre and influence activity bw neurons.
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15
Q

describe the roles of glutamate (2) and GABA (2)

A

glutamate:
- excitatory
- works thru many receptors including NMDA

GABA:
- inhibitory
- works with classes of receptors???

both necessary for 99% of excitatory/inhibitory activity of brain.

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16
Q

why do many anxiolytics target GABAa receptors? name 2 examples.

A

goal = increase inhibitory activity to reduce anxiety (e.g., vallium, lorazepam).

17
Q

what does it mean that alcohol’s effects are biphasic?

A
  • initial stimulant phase followed by depressant phase.
18
Q

describe what an infant with fetal alcohol syndrome’s brain looks like (4)

A
  • corpus callosum virtually absent
  • less gyrification
  • underdevelopment of frontal lobe
  • squished cerebellum
19
Q

role of acetylcholine/cholinergic pathways? (2)

A
  • basal forebrain transmission.
  • projects to (among others) the amygdala and hippocampus.
20
Q

2 major acetylcholine receptor subtypes?

A
  1. nicotinic receptors: ionotropic; positive ions flow through, promoting muscular contraction.
  2. muscarinic receptors: metabotropic; inhibit muscle contraction.
21
Q

what does a black widow spider bite do to the body? (2)

A
  • toxin in venom leads to a massive release of Ach at synapses in peripheral nervous system.
  • causes nicotinic receptors to be very active; massive cramping, nausea, etc.
22
Q

what does the botulinum toxin do to the body? (2)

A
  • blocks Ach release at neuromuscular junction by preventing fusion of synaptic vesicles with the nerve terminals.
  • loss of muscle function.
23
Q

how can botulism “work for us”?

A

botox!

24
Q

what do cholinergic neurons have to do with alzheimer’s disease? (1)

A
  • less dense cholinergic cells around entorhinal cortex = alzheimer’s disease.
25
Q

what are the 4 amines that project thru brain?

A

cholinergic
dopaminergic
noradrenergic
serotonergic

26
Q

role of dopamine/dopaminergic pathways? (4)

A
  • 1% of all neurons.
  • huge function on behaviour.
  • mesostriatal: substantia nigra to basal ganglia.
  • mesolimbocortical: ventral tegmental area to nucleus accumbens and cortex.
27
Q

role of substantia nigra? (1) what can its deterioration lead to?

A
  1. reward, addiction, movement.
  2. parkinson’s disease.
28
Q

role of serotonin/serotonergic pathways? (3)

A
  • 0.2% of all neurons.
  • large involvement with midbrain (raphe nuclei to forebrain) and brainstem (raphe nuclei to spinal cord).
  • regulating body temp, heart rate, respiration, attention, mood.
29
Q

role of norepinephrine/noradrenergic pathways? (4)

A
  • brainstem and midbrain.
  • alertness, mood, sexual behaviour.
  • locus coeruleus to forebrain.
  • lateral tegmental area to brainstem + spinal cord.
30
Q

what is psychopharmacology?

A

subspecialty of pharmacology that includes medications affecting brain and behaviour used to treat mental disorders.

antipsychotics
mood stabilizers
antidepressants
anti-anxiety medications
stimulants

31
Q

key to lock is like ___ to ___.

A

neurotransmitters to receptors.

32
Q

what opens the lock? (4)

A
  • agonists – drugs that enhance actions of natural transmitter/increase receptor activation.
  • GABA agonists (valium)
  • serotonin agonists (LSD)
  • dopamine agonists (cocaine)
33
Q

what closes the lock? (4)

A
  • antagonists – drugs that reduce actions of natural transmitter/decrease neurotransmitter effect.
  • GABA antagonists (flumanzenil)
  • serotonin antagonists (risperidone)
  • dopamine antagonists (haloperidol)
34
Q

what affects the key (presynaptic modulation)? (3)

A
  1. transmitter production (PCPA): abolishes serotonin production, removes need for sleep.
  2. transmitter release (botox, caffeine): modifies glutamate release to give energy.
  3. transmitter clearance (prozac, MAOI): reuptake inhibitors block reuptake of transmitter, while others allow transmitter to accumulate by blocking enzymes.
35
Q

what affects the lock (postsynaptic modulation)? (2)

A
  1. transmitter receptor (LSD- agonist, curare-antagonist).
  2. cellular processes (lithium- antagonist).

psy290: neuroscience (9 decks)

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