level: Level 1
Questions and Answers List
Neurotransmitter families. Actions of drugs on receptors.
level questions: Level 1
| Question | Answer |
|---|---|
| Exogeneous | arising from outside the body. |
| Neurochemistry | the branch of neuroscience concerned with the fundamental chemical composition and processes of the nervous system. |
| Neuropharmacology (psychopharmacology) | the scientific field concerned with the discovery and study of compounds that selectively affect the functioning of the nervous system. |
| Receptor (receptor molecule) | a protein that binds and reacts to molecules of a neurotransmitter or hormone. |
| Ionotropic receptor | a receptor protein that includes an ion channel that is opened when the receptor is bound by an antagonist. |
| Metabotropic receptor | a receptor protein that does not contain an ion channel but may, when activated, use a G protein system to alter the functioning of the postsynaptic cell. |
| Receptor subtype | any type of receptor having functional characteristics that distinguish it from other types of receptors for the same neurotransmitter. |
| G protein-coupled receptor (GPCR) | a cell surface receptor that, when activated extracellularly, initiated G protein signaling mechanisms inside the cell. |
| Ligand | a substance that binds to receptor molecules, such as those at the surface of the cell. |
| Agonist | a molecule, usually a drug, that binds a receptor molecule and initiates a response like that of another molecule, usually a neurotransmitter. |
| Antagonist | a molecule, usually a drug, that interferes with or prevents the action of a transmitter. |
| Inverse agonist | a substance that binds to a receptor nd causes it to do the opposite of what the naturally occurring transmitter does. |
| Competitive ligand | a substance that directly competes with the endogeneous ligand for the same binding site on a receptor molecule. |
| Noncompetitive ligand (neuromodulator) | a substance that alters the response to an endogoenous ligand without interacting with the endogeneous ligand's recognition site. |
| Modulatory site | a portion of a receptor that, when bound by a compound, alters the receptor's response to its transmitter. |
| Endogenous | produced inside the body. |
| Amine neurotransmitter | a neurotransmitter based on modifications of a single amino acid. Examples include acetylcholine, serotonin, and dopamine. |
| Amino acid neurotransmitter | a neurotransmitter that is itself an amino acid. Examples include GABA, glycine, and glutamate. |
| Peptide neurotransmitter (neuropeptide) | a neurotransmitter consisting of a short chain of amino acids. Examples include neuropeptide Y, galanin, and VIP (vasoactive intestinal polypeptide). |
| Gas neurotransmitter | a soluble gas, such as nitric oxide or carbon monoxide, that is produced and released by a neuron to alter the functioning of another neuron. |
| Co-localization (co-release) | here, the appearance of more than one neurotransmitter in a given presynaptic terminal. |
| Glutamate | an amino acid transmitter, the most common excitatory transmitter. |
| Aspartate | an amino acid transmitter that is excitatory at many synapses. |
| Glutamatergic | referring to cells that use glutamate as their synaptic transmitter. |
| Excitotoxicity | the property by which neurons die when overstimulated, as with large amounts of glutamate. |
| Gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) | a widely distributed amino acid transmitter, the main inhibitory transmitter in the mammalian nervous system. |
| Glycine | an amino acid transmitter, often inhibitory. |
| Acetylcholine (ACh) | a neurotransmitter produced and released by parasympathetic postganglionic neuron, by motor neurons, and by neurons throughout the brain. |
| Cholinergic | referring to cells that use acetylcholine as their synaptic transmitter. |
| Nicotinic | referring to cholinergic receptors that respond to nicotine as well as to ACh. |
| Muscarinic | referring to cholinergic receptors that respons to the chemical muscarine as well as to ACh. |
| Catecholamines | a class of monoamines that serve as neurotransmitters, including dopamine and norepinephrine. |
| Indoleamine neurotransmitters | a class of monoamines, including serotonin and melatonin, that serve as neurotransmitters. |
| Dopamine (DA) | a monoamine transmitter found in the midbrain - especially the substantia nigra - and basal forebrain. |
| Mesostriatal pathway | a set of dopaminergic axons arising from the midbrain and innervating the basal ganglia, including those from the substantia nigra to the striatum. |
| Mesolimbocortical pathway | a set of dopaminergic axons arising in the midbrain and inntervating the limbic system and cortex. |
| Substantia nigra (black substance) | a group of pigmented neurons in the midbrain that provides dopaminergic projections to areas of the forebrain, especially the basal ganglia. |
| Striatum | the caudate nucleus and putamen together. |
| Ventral tegmental area (VTA) | a portion of the midbrain that projects dopaminergic fibers to the nucleus accumbens. |
| Norepinephrine (NE, noradrenaline) | a neurotransmitter produced and released by sympathetid postganglionic neurons to accelerate organ activity. Also produced in the brainstem and found in projections throughout the brain. |
| Locus coeruleus (blue spot) | a small nucleus in the brainstem whose neurons produce norepinephrine. |
| Noradrenergic | referring to systems using norepinephrine as a transmitter. |
| Serotonin (5-HT) | a synaptic transmitter that is produced in the raphe nuclei and is active in structures throughout the cerebral hemispheres. |
| Serotonergic | referring to neurons that use serotonin as their synaptic transmitter. |
| Raphe nuclei | a string of nuclei in the midline of the midbrain and brainstem that contain most of the serotonergic neurons of the brain. |
| Opioid peptide | a type of endogeneous peptide that mimics the effects of morphine in binding to opioid receptors and producing marked analgesia and reward. |
| Nitric oxide (NO) | a soluble gas that serves as a retrograde gas neurotransmitter in the nervous system. |
| Retrograde transmitter | a neurotransmitter that diffuses from the postsynaptic neuron back to the presynaptic neuron. |