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Neurotransmission
Lecture 4
19
Psychology
Undergraduate 3
04/30/2011

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Term

Neurotrasmitter

 

Definition

a chemical, gas, or hormone that is synthesized in and released from a nueron

 

Stored in vesicles

Term
Large Neurotransmitters
Definition

Includes:

 

  • Peptides:  amino acid chains
  • Synthesized in cell body

 

Term
Small Neurotransmitters
Definition

Includes:

 

  • Amino Acids
  • Monamines
  • Acetylcholine
  • Gases

Synthesized in the terminals

 

Term
Exocytosis
Definition
the process of Neurotransmission release
Term
Receptors
Definition
protiens that contain binding sites for particular neurotransmitters
Term
Ligand
Definition

a molecule of the correct shape that can fit into a protein and activate or block it

 

Like a key it has to fit

Term
Iontropic Receptors
Definition
directly control ion channels when they recieve a particular neurotransmitter
Term
Metabotropic Receptors
Definition
receive particular transmitters, but do not directly control ion channels.  Instead, they activate molecules known as G protien 
Term
Autoreceptors
Definition

a metabolic receptor that is located in the presynaptic membrane

  • tells the axon terminal how much neurotransmitters has released
  • they regulate calcium channels and the machinery involved in exocytosis

Term
Reuptake
Definition
transporters in the terminal (or on the dendrites) take the neurotrasmitters back inside the neuron to be repackage or degraded
Term
Enzymatic Degradation
Definition
enzymes found in the synaptic cleft that break down neurotransmitters after it is released
Term
Diffusion
Definition
neurotransmitters simply move out of the synaptic cleft
Term
Neuropeptides
Definition

  • Large molecules that more resemble protiens
  • over 100 different peptide neurotransmitters in the brain
  • endorphins (pain and pleaser)
  • slower signaling than the small molecule neurotransmitters
  • broken down by degradative enzymes in synaptic cleft

Term
Amino Acids
Definition

 

  • Small Molecule Neurotransmitters
  • Building blocks for proteins
  • Glatamate, Glycine, Aspartate (from food; excitatory)
  • GABA (made from glutamate in neurons and astrocytes; inhibitory)
  • found in the majority of fast-acting, directed synapse
  • use re-uptake mechanisms

 

Term

Monoaminos

Definition

 

  • small molecule neurotransmitters
  • made from a single amino acid
  • more diffuse effects than amino acids
  • have highly branched axons and their cell bodies tend to be clusted in small groups in the brain stem

 

Catecholamines

 

  • Dopamin, epinephrine, and norepinephrine
  • made from tyronsine

 

Indolamine

 

  • Serotonin
  • made from tryptophan (in malk-makes you sleepy)

 

Term

Soluble-Gas

 

Definition

  • small molecule neurotransmitters
  • Nitric oxide and carbon monoxide
  • made in the cell body and diffuses across the membrane (not released in vesicles)
  • believed to play a role in retrograding signaling (signaling from postsynaptic neuron to presynaptic neuron)
  • very short lived; broken down inside cells quickly by enzymes

Term

Acetylcholine

(ACh)

Definition

  • in a class by itself
  • made from putting on acetyl group onto choline (hence the name)
  • found in neuromuscular junctions
  • degraded in the synapse by acethylcholinesterase (chops the acetyl group off the choline)

Term

Drug Effects

(Agonist)

Definition

of a particular neurotransmitter are drugs that increase the neurotransmitter effect

Ex:  Cocain 

Term

Drug Effects

(Antagonists)

Definition

of a particular neurotransmitter are drugs that reduce the neurotransmitter effect

Ex:  Botox

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