Week 2: Nerve & Muscle

1. Anatomy of a neuron: label A-F

a. Nerve cell body (Soma)

b. Dendrites
c. Cell nucleus
d. Axon Hillock
e. Schwann Cell
f. Node of Ranvier
2. What are the three neuron fiber types and rank them from slowest to fastest.

Fastest to slowest: A, B, C

3. What do electrical synapses use to conduct their action potentials?

Connexons = gap junctions

● Connect two cell membranes directly
● Work similarly to ion channels

4. Write out the steps of chemical synaptic transmission.

● Arriving AP depolarizes presynaptic membrane

● Voltage gated Ca2+ channels opened
● Ca2+ dependent exocytosis . Vesicles fuse with the membrane and release NT into the
synaptic cleft. (SNARE proteins involved at this step)
● Diffusion
● Released NT binds to postsynaptic receptor
 ● Postsynaptic ligand gated Na+ channels open
○ Starts depolarization in next neuron
● NT removed from synaptic cleft and channel closes

5. What are the characteristics of the excitatory postsynaptic potential (EPSP)?

● Synaptic delay results from slow liberation and diffusion of NT (delay from when NT
released to when it reaches the postsynaptic membrane)
● Single depolarization usually insufficient to generate a postsynaptic AP
● Postsynaptic potentials are graded (Vary in amplitude, duration, shape)
● There are two ways to accelerate AP generation on postsynaptic side (Temporal and
Spatial Summations)

6. What are the possible outcomes of a neurotransmitter once it is inactivated?

Reuptaken into original synapse, uptaken into neighboring cell, diffuses away from synapse,
broken down

7. List the excitatory and inhibitory small molecule neurotransmitters discussed in class.

Excitatory: Glutamate, Acetylcholine, norepinephrine, epinephrine, dopamine

Inhibitory: GABA

8. What happens when the neuronal reuptake of norepinephrine is hacked by cocaine

usage?
NE not reuptaken into original synapse = remains in synaptic cleft for longer. Leads to more
activation of postsynaptic membrane = more excitability.