Tipsy Neurons
Jackie Barlow
Joseph Esdin
Trish Hartzell
Kalyani Maitra
Miriam Martin
Xia Yang
&
Jim Burnette
NASI Tidbit
Educational context
1. sophomores
biology majors in a physiology course
mid-semester
2. students have knowledge of
Basic chemistry, biology
Basic molecular interactions
Enzyme-substrate
3. students will be expected to have read background
information about neurons, synapses, neurotransmitters
Kalyani
Goals/Objectives:
After this class, students will understand…
1. How signals are transmitted by neurons
Inhibitory
Excitatory
2. Molecular mechanism of chemical perturbation of
neuron function
The story continues (next lecture) with signal
transduction.
Kalyani
Learning Outcomes
By the end of the lesson, students will be able to:
-Draw the sequence of events during neuronal
transmission
-Compare and contrast inhibitory and excitatory
synapses
-Predict how receptor agonists and antagonists
might interfere with neuron signal transmission
Kalyani
Assessment
Formative
• Draw the sequence of events during neuron
transmission
• Predict
– how receptor agonists and antagonists might interfere
with neuron signal transmission
– the cumulative effect of multiple ligands for neuron
receptors
Summative
• Explain how excitation of an inhibitory pathway
can lead to change of function
Kalyani
Good afternoon
Trish
Sending messages to the brain
stimulus
output to brain
memory, coordination
balance, pain, pleasure
Trish
Trish
The brain is made of billions of neurons
Joseph
Synapse
Presynaptic
neuron
Postsynaptic
neuron
Neurons form junctions called synapse
and communicate by electrical signals
Joseph
Synapse
Presynaptic
neuron
Neurotransmitter release
Postsynaptic
neuron
Joseph
Neural Transmission
Neurotransmitter
Pre
Synaptic cleft
Post
Joseph
Draw the sequence of events during
neuron transmission
Joseph
Physiology of the Synapse
Vesicles mobilization
Action potential
1
3
Voltage gated calcium channel
2
7
Neurotransmitter release
4
5
Neurotransmitter binding to
ligand gated channels (receptors)
Joseph
7
7
Breakdown of the
neurotransmitter
6
Changes in the postsynaptic neuron
If neurotransmitter is inhibitory!
1
3
7
2
7
GABA release
4
5
7
6
Activity decreases in the postsynaptic neuron
If neurotransmitter is excitatory!
1
3
7
2
7
Glutamate release
4
5
7
6
Joseph
Activity increases in the postsynaptic neuron
Xia
What happens after you drink alcohol?
Xia
'
' Images'for'clicker'question'
'
'
Which image represents the effect of alcohol on the
balance between inhibition and excitation?
A
B
C
Inhibition
Excitation
Inhibition
Excitation
Excitation
Inhibition
Xia
Alcohol exposure enhances inhibition
and decreases excitation
GABA
Glutamate
Xia
Activity
Miriam
GABA
Glutamate
How alcohol enhances inhibitory actions of
GABA neurotransmission
Agonist
(+)
Jackie
How alcohol reduces the excitatory actions of
glutamate neurotransmission
Antagonist
(-)
Alcohol
Jackie
Summative
Jackie
Alcohol + “downers” = ???
Xanax
Jackie
Thank You!!!