2 Synapses and Neural Circuits Free Online FlashCards

What is a synapse?

A synapse is a specialized junction through which one neuron influences another cell.

What is the principal excitatory neurotransmitter in the brain?

Glutamate is the principal excitatory neurotransmitter in the brain.

What is a neural circuit?

A neural circuit is a connected group of neurons whose activity helps perform a function.

What is synaptic plasticity?

Synaptic plasticity is a lasting change in how effectively one cell influences another.

In a chemical synapse, which way does information usually travel?

The presynaptic terminal releases neurotransmitter across the synaptic cleft to receptors on the postsynaptic membrane.

What triggers neurotransmitter release when an action potential reaches a terminal?

Calcium enters the presynaptic terminal and triggers synaptic vesicles to release neurotransmitter.

How can neurotransmitter action at a synapse stop?

It can be cleared by reuptake into cells, enzymatic breakdown, or diffusion away.

How do electrical synapses transmit signals?

Gap junctions directly connect neighboring cells, allowing current to pass quickly and helping synchronize activity.

Which two neurotransmitters are commonly inhibitory?

GABA and glycine are commonly inhibitory neurotransmitters.

Why can one neurotransmitter have different effects in different places?

A transmitter’s effect depends on the receptor it activates and the receiving cell’s properties.

How do EPSPs and IPSPs differ?

An EPSP makes the receiving neuron more likely to fire; an IPSP makes it less likely to fire. Both are graded changes, not full action potentials.

How do temporal and spatial summation differ?

Inputs arriving close together in time summate temporally; inputs from different synapses summate spatially.