2.

The Nervous System

Intercellular Contact
 Methods of Communication
 Summation
 Spatial: Addition of inputs of neighbouring synapses simultaneously
 Temporal: addition of inputs within same synapse within a short time frame
 Terminals: voltage gated calcium channels
 Action potential -> [Ca2+] enter -> vesicles fuse with plasma membrane -> neurotransmitter
released to synaptic cleft -> downstream postsynaptic cell ligand gated channels -> graded
potential
 Excitatory or inhibitory synapses
 Excitatory postsynaptic potential (depolarization)
 Influx of positive ions
 Inhibitory postsynaptic potential (hyperpolarization)
 Influx of negative ions
 Efflux of positive ions
 Terminating signal:
 Degrade neurotransmitter
 take it back to axon terminal
 Network
 Divergent
 Convergent
 Lateral inhibition
 Action potential frequency: how excited
 Surrounding of location of stimulus is inhibited eg feel pointy pencil but not
depressed skin around it
 Synapse types:
 Cholinergic:
 presynaptic cell releases acetylcholine
 Postsynaptic cell 2 types receptors
 Nicotinic ligand gated [Na+] channel: found in skeletal muscle /
brain
 Myasthenia gravis is an autoimmune disease in which
antibodies block the acetylcholine receptor at the
neuromuscular junction. Acetylcholinesterase inhibitor slows
the removal of acetylcholine thereby increasing receptor
occupancy and end plate potentials
  Channelopathies are diseases related to mutations in ion
conducting channels in skeletal muscle. A mutation in the
acetylcholine receptor (AChR) leads to prolonged AChR
channel activation in response to a single nerve stimulus.
This will lengthen the time interval for:
 A. depolarization of the muscle plasma membrane
 B. the refractory period
 C. the action potential
 Muscarinic G protein coupled receptor: found in heart, smooth
muscles, gland, brain
 Adrenergic:
 Presynaptic cell releases catecholamine eg norepinephrine &
epinephrine(adrenaline)
 Postsynaptic cell receptors
 Alpha adrenergic receptor (G coupled receptor)
 Beta adrenergic receptor (G coupled receptor)
 Both found in blood vessels, airways, heart, smooth muscles, gland
 Most prevalent