Physiology 3120 Lecture Notes - Lecture 2: Synaptic Plasticity, Ampa Receptor, Axon Hillock
27 Oct 2013
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Document Summary
Positive charge is the normal convention for current flow. Brain activity is the summation of excitatory and inhibitory activity over any given period. Neuron can either fire an ap or not. Axon area is an area of high electrical resistance so the currents go out the low resistance area, which is the axon hillock. We"ve got an ap going down a myelinated nerve by saltatory conduction; ap is at the top node with all the positive charges. Can have branching or collateral; many neurons will have axons that branch considerably and these are called collaterals. Schematic shows one axon but there can be axons going off somewhere else. At the synapse: effects divided into 3 1) transmitter (ex. Glutamate; produces excitation; one of the most important transmitters in the cns) diffuses across the synaptic gap and acts on the receptor on the post synaptic surface; ex.
