Physiological Psych. Module 2.2 Quiz
You are eating a food containing tryptophan. What can you consume with it to increase its entry to the brain?
carbohydrates
Compared to ionotropic effects, metabotropic effects are ____.
slower and longer lasting
The presynaptic terminal stores high concentrations of neurotransmitter molecules in ____.
vesicles
Avoiding foods with lecithin, such as eggs and peanuts, would affect the levels of which neurotransmitter the most?
acetylcholine
The basic building blocks for the majority of neurotransmitters are ____.
amino acids
Autoreceptors monitor the ____.
amount of neurotransmitter released
"Transporter" proteins transport neurotransmitters ____.
back into the presynaptic neuron
Neuropeptides are synthesized in the ____.
cell body
A hormone is a chemical that is ____.
conveyed by the blood to other organs, whose activity it influences
Activation of autoreceptors tends to ____.
decrease further neurotransmitter release
Many neurons release neuropeptides mostly from the ____.
dendrites
The primary method for disposal of peptide neurotransmitters is ____.
diffusion
COMT and MAO are ____.
enzymes that convert catecholamines into inactive chemicals
The catecholamines include ____.
epinephrine, norepinephrine, and dopamine
A neuron excretes neurotransmitters through its membrane by a process called ____.
exocytosis
Glutamate opens sodium gates, enabling sodium ions to enter the postsynaptic cell. What type of effect is this?
ionotropic
What makes nitric oxide unique among neurotransmitters?
it is a gas
Which term refers to a chemical that binds to another chemical?
ligand
Ionotropic effects ____.
may depolarize or hyperpolarize the postsynaptic membrane
Receptor molecules for neurotransmitters that exert metabotropic effects are proteins that bind to ____ outside the membrane, and attach to ____ inside the membrane.
neurotransmitters; G-proteins
In addition to influencing other neurons, ____ increases blood flow to a specific area of the brain.
nitric oxide
Which neurotransmitter is released by stimulated neurons to dilate the blood vessels?
nitric oxide
The amino acid tryptophan is the precursor to which neurotransmitter?
serotonin
In general, a single neuron releases ____ neurotransmitter(s) and can respond to ____ neurotransmitter(s).
several; many
Although slower than an action potential, synaptic transmission is still relatively fast because ____.
the synaptic cleft is very narrow
Adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) controls secretions of the ____.
adrenal cortex
"Second messengers" carry their messages to ____.
areas within the postsynaptic cell
When an action potential reaches the end of an axon, it evokes the release of neurotransmitters by opening ____ channels in the axon terminal.
calcium
When an action potential reaches the end of an axon, the depolarization causes what ionic movement in the presynaptic cell?
calcium into the cell
A metabotropic synapse, by way of its second messenger, ____.
can influence activity in much or all of the postsynaptic cell
Loewi demonstrated that synapses operate by the release of chemicals by ____.
collecting fluid from a stimulated frog's heart, transferring it to another frog's heart, and measuring that heart rate
The anterior pituitary is composed of ____ and the posterior pituitary is composed of ____.
glandular tissue; neural tissue
Releasing hormones are synthesized in the ____ and released in the ____.
hypothalamus; anterior pituitary
Vesicles are located ____.
in presynaptic terminals
A receptor can directly open a channel and thereby exert a(n) ____ effect, or it can produce slower but longer ____ effects.
ionotropic; metabotropic
What is the function of the enzyme acetylcholinesterase?
it breaks acetylcholine down into components for recycling
The main advantage of a neuron releasing more than one neurotransmitter is that ____.
it can send more complex messages
What happens to acetylcholine after it attaches to a receptor on the postsynaptic cell?
it is broken down into two components
A drug that inhibits the action of the enzyme acetylcholinesterase will have the effect of ____.
prolonging the action of acetylcholine at its synapses
Which category of chemicals includes adenosine and several of its derivatives?
purines
Ionotropic effects are characterized by ____.
rapid and short-lived effects
Which event is most likely to be dependent on ionotropic effects?
rapid muscle contraction
The effect of a neurotransmitter on a postsynaptic neuron is determined by the ____.
receptors on the postsynaptic membrane
Hormones exert their effects ____.
similarly to metabotropic neurotransmitters
What is the synaptic cleft?
the gap between the presynaptic neuron and the postsynaptic neuron
What happens when a neurotransmitter is released by a presynaptic cell?
the neurotransmitter passively spreads across the synaptic cleft
What do dopamine, norepinephrine, and epinephrine share in common?
they are all synthesized from the same amino acids
