Exam 37: Neurons, Synapses, and Signaling

The nucleus and most of the organelles in a neuron are located in the

Researchers injected bark scorpion venom in mouse neurons (both a common house mouse and the southern grasshopper mouse) and measured how many action potentials were generated after the venom was introduced. Their data is shown below. Based on these data, what effect do you think the venom is having on the grasshopper mouse?

In a simple synapse, neurotransmitter chemicals are released by

A graded hyperpolarization of a membrane can be induced by

Receptors for neurotransmitters are of primary functional importance in assuring one-way synaptic transmission because they are mostly found on the

A common feature of action potentials is that they

The point of connection between two communicating neurons is called the

When several excitatory postsynaptic potentials (EPSPs) arrive at the axon hillock from different dendritic locations and then depolarize the postsynaptic cell to threshold for an action potential, this is an example of

A chemical that affects neuronal function but is not stored in presynaptic vesicles is

A cation that is more abundant as a solute in the cytosol of a neuron than it is in the interstitial fluid outside the neuron is

In Figure 37.1, the minimum graded depolarization needed to operate the voltage-gated sodium and potassium channels is indicated by the label

Suppose a particular neurotransmitter causes an IPSP in postsynaptic cell X and an EPSP in postsynaptic cell Y. A likely explanation is that

Assume that excessive consumption of ethanol increases the influx of negative chloride ions into "commonsense" neurons whose action potentials are needed for you to act appropriately and not harm yourself or others. Thus, any resulting poor decisions associated with ethanol ingestion are likely due to

Functionally, which cellular location is the neuron's "decision-making site" as to whether or not an action potential will be initiated?

The botulinum toxin inhibits the synaptic release of

ATP hydrolysis directly powers the movement of

Self-propagation and refractory periods are typical of

An amino acid that operates at inhibitory synapses in the brain is

The following steps refer to various stages in transmission at a chemical synapse. 1) Neurotransmitters bind with receptors associated with the postsynaptic membrane. 2) Calcium ions rush into the neuron's cytoplasm. 3) An action potential depolarizes the membrane of the axon terminal. 4) The ligand-gated ion channels open. 5) The synaptic vesicles release neurotransmitters into the synaptic cleft. Which sequence of events is correct?

The operation of the sodium-potassium "pump" moves