PSYC 280 Lecture Notes - Lecture 4: Receptor Antagonist, Melanin, Neurotransmitter

• School: Simon Fraser University
• Department: Psychology
• Course: PSYC 280
• Professor: Evan Caldbick

Document Summary

Deals largely w/ chemical messengers b/w neurons at synapse - neurotransmitters. 2 channels of info transmission w/i neurons. Electrical transmission in form of post-synaptic potentials & action potentials. Intracellular chemical transmission in form of chemical cascades involving enzymes & other molecular messengers. Genetic modulation of cellular processes part of second channel, & so is transmission of info b/w neurons in vast majority of instances. Neurotransmitter receptors - proteins binding to neurotransmitters & produce some effect on cell in which they are expressed, either in pre-synaptic cell/post-synaptic cell. Immediate effects that receptors have when bound to neurotransmitter/other substance can be classified into 2 types. Receptor itself is ion channel that opens/closes in response to presence of neurotransmitters. Ionotropic receptors - molecule said to be agonist if it has effect of opening ion channel to allow ions to freely pass. Antagonist - any molecule binding to receptor & has effect of keeping ion channel closed while simultaneously blocking them from other transmitters.