Study Guide for Exam 2

Chapter 11

• Factors responsible for resting membrane potential
• The Nernst equation--know it and be able to apply it.
• Resistance and capacitance of a membrane

Action potentials

• Changes in membrane permeability fig. 11.11-12
• Ions and ion channels responsible for different phases of the APs
• The Hodgkin cycle
• Experimental evidence for changes in the currents that underlie APs
• Variations in ionic mechanisms of excitable cells
  • Nonspiking neurons
  • Different neuronal ionic currents Table 11.2
  • pacemaker potentials
• Propagation of APs
  • Local circuits
  • Refractory periods

Chapter 12

• Electrical synapses vs chemical synapses
• Iontropic and metabotropic receptors
• EPSPs and IPSPs
• Neuromuscular EPSPs and Neuronal EPSPs
• Neuromuscular junction vs neuronal synapses
• Role of calcium in vesicular release
• Vesicular release and recycling of synaptic vesicles
• Types of neurotransmitters
• The criteria used to determine a neurotransmitter
• Termination of neurotransmitter action
• Neuropeptides and pain
• The different types of neurotransmitters--Amines, amino acids, peptides
• ACh and its receptors
• Molecular structure of different receptors
• Metabotropic receptors and second messenger systems
• Synaptic plasticity
• Sensitization, habituation and classical conditioning in Aplysia