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Related Concept Videos

Excitatory and Inhibitory Effects of Neurotransmitters01:29

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...
Integration of Synaptic Events01:28

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...
Chemical Synapses01:26

Chemical Synapses

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...
Chemical Synapses01:26

Chemical Synapses

Chemical synapses are specialized sites between two neurons or between a neuron and a non-neuronal cell like a muscle, glandular or sensory cell.
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Neurochemical Transmission: Sites of Drug Action01:26

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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The Synapse

Neurons communicate with one another by passing on their electrical signals to other neurons. A synapse is the location where two neurons meet to exchange signals. At the synapse, the neuron that sends the signal is called the presynaptic cell, while the neuron that receives the message is called the postsynaptic cell. Note that most neurons can be both presynaptic and postsynaptic, as they both transmit and receive information.

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Electrophysiological Investigations of Retinogeniculate and Corticogeniculate Synapse Function
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Published on: August 7, 2019

Synaptic and extrasynaptic factors governing glutamatergic retinal waves.

Aaron G Blankenship1, Kevin J Ford, Juliette Johnson

  • 1Neurosciences Graduate Program, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA.

Neuron
|May 5, 2009
PubMed
Summary

The retina

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Immunohistochemical and Calcium Imaging Methods in Wholemount Rat Retina
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Immunohistochemical and Calcium Imaging Methods in Wholemount Rat Retina

Published on: October 13, 2014

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Last Updated: Jun 23, 2026

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09:09

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Published on: August 7, 2019

Immunohistochemical and Calcium Imaging Methods in Wholemount Rat Retina
08:54

Immunohistochemical and Calcium Imaging Methods in Wholemount Rat Retina

Published on: October 13, 2014

Area of Science:

  • Neuroscience
  • Developmental Biology
  • Retinal Physiology

Background:

  • Retinal waves are crucial for visual system development.
  • The switch from cholinergic to glutamatergic signaling shapes these waves.
  • Understanding glutamatergic wave properties is key to visual circuit formation.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To elucidate the synaptic and spatiotemporal characteristics of glutamatergic retinal waves.
  • To investigate the link between cholinergic and glutamatergic wave-generating circuits.
  • To determine the role of glutamate spillover and inhibition in wave dynamics.

Main Methods:

  • Utilized knockout mice lacking vesicular glutamate transporter type 1.
  • Performed simultaneous outside-out patch and whole-cell recordings.
  • Employed calcium imaging combined with pharmacological manipulations.

Main Results:

  • Vesicular glutamate transporter type 1 knockout mice lacked glutamatergic waves but retained cholinergic waves.
  • Retinal waves showed transient increases in extrasynaptic glutamate, indicating spillover.
  • Wave initiation and propagation speed were modulated by spillover and inhibition.

Conclusions:

  • Cholinergic and glutamatergic wave circuits are interconnected.
  • Glutamate spillover is a key feature of glutamatergic retinal waves.
  • Spillover and inhibition significantly influence the spatiotemporal properties of these waves.