PSY 256 - Chapter 2 - Synapses

____ refers to bursts of release of neurotransmitter from the presynaptic neuron.

Exocytosis

Stimulant drugs, including amphetamine and cocaine, decrease reuptake and prolong the effects of various neurotransmitters. Which of the following is not one of those neurotransmitters?

GABA

____ is thought to help control appetite by decreasing it.

Leptin

Which of the following classic researchers is credited with demonstrating the existence of chemical synapses?

Loewi

Epinephrine and norepinephrine are produced in the ____.

adrenal medulla

In which neurotransmitter category does GABA belong?

amino acids

Neuropeptides are characterized by ____.

being released mostly from dendrites

Tommy is addicted to smoking cigarettes and says he really enjoys smoking. Smoking cigarettes feels rewarding in part because it triggers the release of ____.

dopamine

Nitric oxide is an example of the ____ category of neurotransmitters.

gas

Most of the brain's excitatory ionotropic synapses use the neurotransmitter ____.

glutamate

The temporary hyperpolarization of a membrane is a(n) ____.

inhibitory postsynaptic potential

Gordon is having trouble sleeping and decides to take a supplement containing a hormone that is manufactured in the pineal. What is he most likely taking?

melatonin

Adenosine is an example of the ____ category of neurotransmitters.

purine

Karin just burned her finger on a hot pan. What is the circuit from sensory neuron to muscle response called that transmitted the message that she should remove her finger from the pan?

reflex arc

Many hallucinogenic drugs are chemically similar to ____.

serotonin

Sherrington inferred the presence of a gap between neurons based on ____.

slower than predicted speed of conduction

Consider a wiring arrangement of neurons in which the two neurons (A and B) stimulate a third neuron (X). Neither neuron A nor B can stimulate neuron X on its own, but can excite neuron X in combination. This is an example of ____.

spatial summation

What term describes periodic production of action potentials, even without synaptic input?

spontaneous firing

What term is used for the cumulative effect of repeated stimulation over a brief period of time?

temporal summation

Frederick is interested in using his diet to elevate his mood. His doctor suggested that he try to increase the amount of ____ in his diet, because it controls the amount of serotonin in the brain.

tryptophan