PSYC 100 Lecture Notes - Lecture 6: Active Zone, Chemical Synapse, Nmda Receptor

• School: McGill University
• Department: Psychology
• Course: PSYC 100
• Professor: All

Document Summary

Protein-rich zone at post synaptic membrane: electron-dense thickening at the distal tip of the spine head that is apposed to the presynaptic active zone (200-800mm wide, psd shapes vary from small discs to irregular shapes (perforated) Summary of core events/concepts: when action potential reaches pre-synaptic terminal, converted from electrical signal into a chemical signal, first, the action potential causes ca2 entry into the presynaptic terminal. This promotes that vesicles loaded with neurotransmitters (protein) fuse with the presynaptic membrane: this causes neurotransmitters to be realized into the synaptic cleft. There, they diffuse and eventually bind to receptors that swim in the membrane of the post-synaptic cell: there are several different types of receptors in post synaptic membrane of neutrons in the cns. Now chemical signal has even converted back into an electrical signal: this influx of electrically charged molecules can cause a depolarization of the post-synaptic neuron, which can lead to the neutron firing an action potential.