PSYCH 212 Lecture Notes - Lecture 6: Sympathetic Nervous System, Neuromuscular Junction, Basal Ganglia

• School: Northwestern University
• Department: Psychology
• Course: PSYCH 212
• Professor: Robin Nusslock

Document Summary

Sequence of synaptic transmission note the importance of calcium (ca2+) in ux into axon terminal in facilitating synaptic transmission. Receptor action: inotropic receptors (ligand-gated ion channels) open their ion channels when a neurotransmitter binds. Fast acting but transient effects: metabotropic receptors (g protein-coupled receptors) activate g proteins that trigger signaling cascades when a ligand binds. Slow acting but long lasting ligand - molecules that t into a receptor protein and activate or block it. Endogenous ligands: neurotransmitters or hormones made inside the body. The nature of the postsynaptic receptors determines the action of a transmitter. Each subtype of receptor has unique distribution in the brain. Some transmitters may bind to a variety of receptor subtypes, triggering different responses. Receptors are malleable over the life course some uctuate daily receptor up-regulation - increase in receptor number receptor down-regulation - decrease in receptor number. The eeg signal is postsynaptic potentials of cortical pyramidal neurons.