2022-2024 Year 13 A-Level Psychology - Biopsychology: Synaptic Transmission
This flashcard set focuses on Synaptic Transmission in A-Level Biopsychology. It explains why neural transmission is unidirectional, highlighting the roles of neurotransmitter location, receptor site placement, and diffusion direction in ensuring signals travel one way across a synapse.
Give three reasons why neurons can only transmit in one direction at a synapse
1) neurotransmitters are only in the presynaptic neuron
2) Receptor sites are only on the post synaptic neuron
3) Diffusion has to go from a high to low concentration
Key Terms
Give three reasons why neurons can only transmit in one direction at a synapse
1) neurotransmitters are only in the presynaptic neuron
2) Receptor sites are only on the post synaptic neuron
3) Diffusion has to go from a ...
Name box 1 and 2
1) Vesicle
2) Receptor site
What are neurotransmitters?
Chemical messengers in the brain
What is sent down the axon to the presynaptic terminal?
Action potential/impulse
Where are neurotransmitters stored?
Vesicles
What do vesicles store?
Neurotransmitters
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| Term | Definition |
|---|---|
Give three reasons why neurons can only transmit in one direction at a synapse | 1) neurotransmitters are only in the presynaptic neuron |
Name box 1 and 2 | 1) Vesicle |
What are neurotransmitters? | Chemical messengers in the brain |
What is sent down the axon to the presynaptic terminal? | Action potential/impulse |
Where are neurotransmitters stored? | Vesicles |
What do vesicles store? | Neurotransmitters |
What do the neurotransmitters bind to on the post-synaptic neuron? | Receptor sites |
What happens at the receptor sites? | Neurotransmitters bind |
What do neurotransmitters diffuse across? | Synapse, synaptic gap or synaptic cleft |
Name an excitatory neurotransmitter | Adrenaline |
If the neurotransmitter is excitatory, how is the post synaptic cell charged? | Positively charged |
Name an inhibitory neurotransmitter | Serotonin |
If the neurotransmitter is inhibitory, how is the post synaptic cell charged? | Negatively charged |
An excitatory neurotransmitter makes the post synaptic neuron … | More likely to fire an impulse down the axon |
An inhibitory neurotransmitter makes the post synaptic neuron … | less likely to fire an impulse down the axon. |
What impact does an inhibitory neurotransmitter have on brain and Central Nervous System activity? | Decreases activity |
What impact does an excitatory neurotransmitter have on brain and Central Nervous System activity? | increases activity |
When does summation occur? | when the excitatory and inhibitory influences are added together |
In terms of summation what happens when the effect is mainly inhibitory? | It reduces the likelihood that the neuron will fire an impulse down the post synaptic neuron? |
What impact is there in the post-synaptic neuron if the overall effect of summation is excitatory? | It increases the likelihood that the neuron will fire an impulse down the post synaptic neuron. |