BIOB34H3 Lecture 5: Lecture 5 on Neruons and Communication
Document Summary
Biob30fall2011 chapter 8: neurons: cellular and network properties and chapter 6: communication, integration and homeostasis - lecture 5. Neurotransmission: conversion of action potential into a chemical signal which is released from the presynaptic axon terminal (neurotransmitter is released) --> this causes a response in the dendrites/cell body of the target neuron at the postsynaptic junction. 3 signaling mechanisms: graded potential at dendrites or cell body, which turns into an action potential at the trigger zone, which results in chemical neurotransmission at the axon terminal, at the presynaptic junction. Neurons have between 10 000 to over 150 000 synapses on their dendrites and cell bodies. Each synapse has 2 parts : the axon terminal of the presynaptic cell and the membrane of the post synaptic cell. Electrical synapses pass an electrical signal or current directly from the cytoplasm of one cell to another through gap junctions (protein channels that create cytoplasmic bridges between adjacent cells)
