Lecture 16 notes/ Neuro II

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3. Input from another neuron through synapse The most common way for a neuron to be stimulated is through input from another neuron. A synapseis a connection between 2 neurons or between a neuron and its target(such as a skeletal muscle cell). Synapses come in 2 basic flavors.

D. Synapse
1. Electrical
In some cases, neurons are connected by gap junctions. Ions can flow through the gap junctions between cellsand stimulate neighboring cells. Electrical connections are more common in invertebrates (earthworms for instance).
a. Advantage
The big advantage of chemical synapses are that they are fast.

b. Disadvantages
i. Don't allow integration of information

ii. Require large area of contact
- and are not compatible with complex neural networks

iii. Can only be excitatory
- can use to turn the 2nd neuron on, but not off

iii. inflexable - hard to modify

2. Chemical48.10
The second type of connection is called a chemical synapse. Specialized regions of the two cells are brought within 10-40 nm, but not connected.

The axon terminal contains vesicles filled with chemical messenger (neurotransmitter).


3. Input from another neuron through synapse The most common way for a neuron to be stimulated is through input from another neuron. A synapseis a connection between 2 neurons or between a neuron and its target(such as a skeletal muscle cell). Synapses come in 2 basic flavors. D. Synapse 1. Electrical In some cases, neurons are connected by gap junctions. Ions can flow through the gap junctions between cellsand stimulate neighboring cells. Electrical connections are more common in invertebrates (earthworms for instance). a. Advantage The big advantage of chemical synapses are that they are fast.
	b. Disadvantages i. Don't allow integration of information ii. Require large area of contact - and are not compatible with complex neural networks iii. Can only be excitatory - can use to turn the 2nd neuron on, but not off
		iii. inflexable - hard to modify
2. Chemical48.10 The second type of connection is called a chemical synapse. Specialized regions of the two cells are brought within 10-40 nm, but not connected. The axon terminal contains vesicles filled with chemical messenger (neurotransmitter).