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Related Concept Videos

Ligand-Gated Ion Channel Receptor: Gating Mechanism01:30

Ligand-Gated Ion Channel Receptor: Gating Mechanism

Ligand-gated ion channels are transmembrane proteins that play a vital role in intercellular communication and functions of the nervous system. They allow the influx of ions across the membrane once the neurotransmitter binds, allowing the subsequent transmission of electrical excitation across the neurons. Other ligand-gated ion channels, like the γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA) receptor, permit anions like chloride into the cells on the binding of the GABA molecule. Their entry into the cell...
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Chemical synapses are specialized sites between two neurons or between a neuron and a non-neuronal cell like a muscle, glandular or sensory cell.
Because chemical synapses depend on the release of neurotransmitter molecules from synaptic vesicles to pass on their signal, there is an approximately one millisecond delay between when the axon potential reaches the presynaptic terminal and when the neurotransmitter leads to opening of postsynaptic ion channels. Additionally, this signaling is...
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Chemical Synapses

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Excitatory and Inhibitory Effects of Neurotransmitters

When an action potential reaches the presynaptic axon terminal, it releases neurotransmitters from the neuron into the synaptic cleft at a chemical synapse. The released neurotransmitter can be excitatory or inhibitory. The critical criteria commonly used to determine whether a molecule is a neurotransmitter at a chemical synapse are the molecule's presence in the presynaptic neuron. Second, its release is in response to strong presynaptic depolarization. And lastly, the presence of specific...
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Neurochemical Transmission: Sites of Drug Action

Neurochemical transmission, the conduction of electrical impulses between neurons mediated by neurotransmitters, plays a vital role in various physiological processes. Autonomic drugs exert their effects by modulating neurotransmission within the autonomic nervous system. For instance, drugs such as hemicholinium block the precursor uptake necessary for synthesizing acetylcholine, an essential autonomic neurotransmitter. Following synthesis, neurotransmitters are stored in vesicles. Metyrosine...
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Integration of Synaptic Events

Synaptic integration mainly includes the summation of graded potentials. Graded potentials, regardless of their type, cause subtle alterations in membrane voltage, resulting in either depolarization or hyperpolarization. These incremental changes, when combined or summed, can propel the neuron toward its threshold. Consider, for example, a membrane experiencing a +15 mV shift, causing it to depolarize from -70 mV to -55 mV. In this scenario, graded potentials govern the membrane's ability to...

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Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jul 5, 2026

Inducing Plasticity of Astrocytic Receptors by Manipulation of Neuronal Firing Rates
12:47

Inducing Plasticity of Astrocytic Receptors by Manipulation of Neuronal Firing Rates

Published on: March 20, 2014

Synaptic modulation by astrocytes via Ca2+-dependent glutamate release.

M Santello1, A Volterra

  • 1Department of Cell Biology and Morphology, University of Lausanne, Rue du Bugnon 9, 1005 Lausanne, Switzerland.

Neuroscience
|May 6, 2008
PubMed
Summary

Astrocytes are now known to actively participate in brain information processing by sensing neuronal activity and releasing neurotransmitters like glutamate. This neuron-astrocyte signaling is vital for synapse function and brain communication.

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Last Updated: Jul 5, 2026

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12:47

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Published on: March 20, 2014

Analyzing the Size, Shape, and Directionality of Networks of Coupled Astrocytes
10:10

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Published on: October 4, 2018

Dual Electrophysiological Recordings of Synaptically-evoked Astroglial and Neuronal Responses in Acute Hippocampal Slices
16:38

Dual Electrophysiological Recordings of Synaptically-evoked Astroglial and Neuronal Responses in Acute Hippocampal Slices

Published on: November 26, 2012

Area of Science:

  • Neuroscience
  • Cellular Biology
  • Neuroimmunology

Background:

  • Classical view of astrocytes as passive cells has been overturned.
  • Emerging evidence highlights crucial roles of neuron-astrocyte signaling in brain information processing.
  • Seminal observations in the 1990s revealed astrocyte responses to neurotransmitters and their release of chemical transmitters.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To critically review the characteristics of astrocytic calcium (Ca2+) responses to synaptic activity.
  • To discuss the basis of Ca2+-dependent glutamate exocytosis from astrocytes.
  • To examine the modes of action of astrocytic glutamate on synaptic function.

Main Methods:

  • Literature review and critical discussion of existing research.
  • Analysis of studies on astrocyte calcium signaling.
  • Investigation of mechanisms of astrocyte-derived glutamate release and action.

Main Results:

  • Astrocytes respond to neurotransmitters with intracellular calcium ([Ca2+]i) elevation.
  • Astrocytes release neuroactive agents, including glutamate, triggered by [Ca2+]i increases.
  • Astrocytic signaling influences synapse formation, function, and plasticity.

Conclusions:

  • Astrocytes actively participate in brain information processing.
  • Neuron-astrocyte communication expands the concept of brain circuitry.
  • Understanding astrocytic roles revolutionizes the view of brain communication.