Read the summary and the most important questions on Neuroscience Brain International Edition | 9781451109542

• 5 Synaptic Transmission

• 5.1.1 Electrical synapses

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• How is a gap junction made up?

  Between the membranes is a narrow gap of 3 nm, spanned by proteins called connexins. Six connexins form a connexon, two connexons meet and combine to form a gap junction channel.

• 5.1.2 Chemical synapses

• In the presynaptic side of the synapse, or presynaptic element, are neurotransmitters and soluble proteins stored. How are they stored?

  Synaptic vesicles contain neurotransmitters. A synaptic vesicle is about 50 nm in diameter.
  
  Proteins are stored in secretory granules, each about 100 nm in diameter.

• What is described with the term membrane differentiations? And how is this different between the presynaptic and postsynaptic membrane?

  Membrane differentiations is a collective name for the dense accumulations of protein adjacent to and within the membranes at either side of the synaptic cleft.
  
  On the presynaptic side: the actual sites of neurotransmitter releare are called active zones.
  On the postsynaptic side: the protein thickly accumulated in and just under the postsynaptic membrane is called the postsynaptic density    

• Between what cells is a synapse called a neuromuscular junction? And what is the  name of the postsynaptic membrane in this synapse?

  Between the axons of motor neurons of the spinal cord and skeletal muscle.
  
  Motor end-plate

• 5.2.1 Neurotransmitters

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• What kind of neurotransmitter is glutamate? And what three major classes of receptors are there for glutamate?

  Glutamate is the most abundant excitatory neurotransmitter. Biochemical receptors for glutamate fall into three major classes: AMPA receptors, NMDA receptors and metabotropic glutamate receptors.

• What kind of neurotransmitter is GABA? What two types of GABA receptors are there, and what is their diference?

  GABA is the major inhibitory neurotransmitter. 
  There are two classes of GABA receptors: GABAa (ligand-gated ion channel/ionotropic receptor) and GABAb (GPCR/metabotropic receptor)

• The amino acid tyrosine is the precursor for three different amine neurotransmitters that contain the chemical structure catechol, which three are those and what is their collective name?

  These neurotransmitters are collectively called: catecholamines.
  - dopamine (DA)
  - norepinephrine (NE)
  - epinephrine

• Catecholaminergic neurons are found in regions of the nervous system involved in the regulation of what?

  The regulation of movement, mood, attention, and visceral function.

• People with PKU have a defective enzyme, which one and what is its function?What does this cause?

  A defective PAH enzyme. Normally the PAH enzyme breaks down the amino acid phenylalanine. People with PKU have toxic levels of phenylalanine in their bodies.

• What amine neurotransmitter is derived from the amino acid tryptophan?What brain parts/regulations does this neurotransmitter have an influence on?

  Serotonin
  
  Mood, emotional behaviour, and sleep.