synaptic transmission

• What is the biological structure discussed in the video?

  Synapse
• How does the synapse help in biological psychology?

  It explains information transfer and drug effects
• What are the chemical messages called that transmit information across the synapse?

  Neurotransmitters
• What happens to electrical impulses at the synapse?

  They are converted to chemical messages
• What is the gap between two neurons called?

  Synaptic cleft
• How wide is the synaptic cleft?

  20 to 40 nanometers
• What do the receptors on the postsynaptic neuron detect?

  Neurotransmitters
• What is the role of transport proteins in the presynaptic neuron?

  They take neurotransmitters back into the cell
• What triggers the release of neurotransmitters from vesicles?

  Arrival of an action potential
• What happens to neurotransmitters after they are released into the synaptic cleft?

  They diffuse across to the postsynaptic cell
• What is summation in the context of synaptic transmission?

  It is the net effect of neurotransmitters
• What must happen for a new action potential to form in the postsynaptic cell?

  The electrical charge must reach threshold
• What effect do excitatory neurotransmitters have on the postsynaptic neuron?

  They make the electrical charge more positive
• What is depolarization in the context of neurotransmitter action?

  It allows sodium ions into the cell
• What do inhibitory neurotransmitters do to the postsynaptic neuron?

  They hyperpolarize the neuron, making it more negative
• What is the process of reuptake in synaptic transmission?

  It recycles neurotransmitters back into the presynaptic cell
• How often does a typical neuron fire?

  5 to 50 times a second
• What do SSRIs do in the treatment of depression?

  They block serotonin reabsorption
• How does cocaine affect neurotransmitter transmission?

  It blocks dopamine reabsorption
• What is the significance of synapses in brain function?

  • Fundamental for information transfer
  • Basis for consciousness and memory
  • Complex communication system
  • Involves around 100 billion neurons
• How many synapses does an average 20-year-old male have?

  • Approximately 170 trillion synapses
  • Complex network for processing information
• How does the number of synapses compare to stars in the Milky Way?

  • About 680 Milky Way galaxies worth of synapses
  • Illustrates the vast complexity of the brain
• How long would it take to count all synapses at a rate of 100 per second?

  Just under 5,500 years
• What are the key components of synaptic transmission?

  1. Action potential arrival
  2. Vesicle fusion and neurotransmitter release
  3. Neurotransmitter diffusion
  4. Receptor binding and summation
  5. Reuptake or breakdown of neurotransmitters