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

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 Postsynaptic neuron Neurotransmitter release Joseph

Neural Transmission Neurotransmitter Synaptic cleft Pre Post Joseph

Draw the sequence of events during neuron transmission Joseph

Physiology of the Synapse Voltage gated calcium channel Neurotransmitter binding to ligand gated channels (receptors) Action potential Vesicles mobilization Neurotransmitter release Changes in the postsynaptic neuron Breakdown of the neurotransmitter Joseph

If neurotransmitter is inhibitory! GABA release Activity decreases in the postsynaptic neuron

If neurotransmitter is excitatory! Glutamate release Activity increases in the postsynaptic neuron Joseph

Xia

What happens after you drink alcohol? Xia

Which image represents the effect of alcohol on the balance between inhibition and excitation? ABCABC Xia Inhibition Excitation Inhibition Excitation

Alcohol exposure enhances inhibition and decreases excitation Xia GABA Glutamate

Miriam Activity

GABA

Glutamate

How alcohol enhances inhibitory actions of GABA neurotransmission Agonist Jackie (+)

How alcohol reduces the excitatory actions of glutamate neurotransmission Alcohol (-) Antagonist Jackie

Summative Jackie

Alcohol + “downers” = ??? Xanax Jackie

Thank You!!!