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Synaptic Transmission in Neuroscience

This document provides information on a neuroscience assignment including: 1. A table comparing the differences between chemical and electrical synapses, such as chemical synapses using neurotransmitters unidirectionally while electrical synapses use gap junctions and transmit signals bidirectionally. 2. Possible causes of synaptic delay including the time taken for transmitter discharge, diffusion, receptor action, and sodium diffusion to trigger an action potential. 3. Classification of sensory receptors according to stimulus detected, such as mechanoreceptors for touch, chemoreceptors for chemicals, and thermoreceptors for temperature. 4. The effects of alkalosis, acidosis, hypoxia, local anesthetics, and caffeine

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Abu Bakar
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219 views3 pages

Synaptic Transmission in Neuroscience

This document provides information on a neuroscience assignment including: 1. A table comparing the differences between chemical and electrical synapses, such as chemical synapses using neurotransmitters unidirectionally while electrical synapses use gap junctions and transmit signals bidirectionally. 2. Possible causes of synaptic delay including the time taken for transmitter discharge, diffusion, receptor action, and sodium diffusion to trigger an action potential. 3. Classification of sensory receptors according to stimulus detected, such as mechanoreceptors for touch, chemoreceptors for chemicals, and thermoreceptors for temperature. 4. The effects of alkalosis, acidosis, hypoxia, local anesthetics, and caffeine

Uploaded by

Abu Bakar
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd

Neuroscience module

BDS, First year


Assignment 1 Total Marks=20

1. Tabulate the differences between chemical and electrical synapses? (05 marks)

Chemical synapses Electric synapses


A chemical synapse is a cell-to-cell junction An electrical synapse is a cell junction between two
through which nerve impulses are transmitted by nerve cells through which rapid transmission of
means of neurotransmitters. nerve impulses occurs by means of ions.
Transmission of signals occurs in uni-directional Transmission of signals occur in two-way.
way.
In chemical synapses width of synaptic cleft is While in electrical synapses width of synaptic cleft
200-300 A°. is 20- 30 A°
Gap junctions are not present in chemical While in electrical synapse gap junctions are
synapses present.
In humans CNS 99% In humans CNS 1%
Synaptic knobs contain synaptic vesicles and a Synaptic knobs contain no synaptic vesicles and
large number of mitochondria very few number of mitochondria.
Chemoreceptors are present on the post-synaptic Chemoreceptors are absent on the post-synaptic
membrane. membrane.
Transmission of information is slow Transmission of information occurs at high speed
Sensitive to hypoxia and pH Intensitive to hypoxia and pH.
2. Enumerate the possible causes of synaptic delay?(05 marks)

Ans. The minimum time required for transmission across the synapse.

The time taken by:

 Discharge of the transmitter substance by the presynaptic terminal.


 Diffusion of the transmitter to the postsynaptic neuronal membrane.
 Action of transmitter on its receptors.
 Action of the transmitter to increase the membrane permeability.
 Inward diffusion of sodium (Na+) to raise the excitatory postsynaptic potential to a high enough
level to elicit an action potential.
 it is about 0.5 millisecond.

3. How are receptors classified according to the type of stimulus they detect?(05 marks)

Ans.

Classification Of Sensory Receptors (According to type of stimulus detected)

1. Mechanoreceptors:
They detect pressure and movement i.e touch, hearing, balance and blood pressure.
mechanical compression /stretching eg. free nerve endings, Merkels discs, Ruffini’s endings,
Meissner’s corpuscles.
2. Chemoreceptors:
They detect chemicals eg. taste buds, receptors of olfactory epithelium, aortic &carotid
bodies etc
3. Thermoreceptors:
they detect temperature i.e Cold and warm receptors
4. Nociceptors:
Also called pain receptors, detect pain free nerve endings……physical/chemical damage
5. Electromagnetic receptors:
eg. Rods and cones.

4. What are the effects of the following on synaptic transmission ? (05 marks)

a) Alkalosis

Alkalosis greatly increases neuronal excitability.

b) Acidosis

Acidosis greatly depresses neuronal activity.

c) Hypoxia

Neuronal excitability is also highly dependent on an adequate supply of oxygen. Cessation of oxygen for
only a few seconds can cause complete inexcitability of some neurons.
d) Local anaesthetics

Most of the anesthetics increase the neuronal membrane threshold for excitation and thereby decrease
synaptic transmission at many points in the nervous system.

e) Caffeine

Many drugs are known to increase the excitability of neurons and others are known to decrease
excitability.

 For instance
 Caffeine
 Theophyline
 All increase neuronal excitability presumably by reducing the threshold for excitation of
neurons.

Abu Bakar.
1st year BDS
Roll # 02

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