Copyright ©Mark Nelson, 2002. All rights
reserved.
Chapter 8: Integration of Synaptic
Action
What you need to know
(exam questions will be a drawn from this subset
of material)
What three basic electrical properties influence the spread of synaptic
current along a neurite? (p. 188)
What is the length (or space) constant of a
neurite? (p. 188-189)
How is the length constant related to the basic electrical properties
of a neurite ? (p. 188-189)
How is the length constant related to the diameter of a neurite?
(p. 188-189)
What would be a typical length constant for a neurite, i.e. how far does
a PSP typically spread? (p. 189)
What is the time constant of a neurite? (p. 189-192)
How is the time constant related to the basic electrical properties of
a neurite? (p. 191)
How is the time constant related to the diameter of a neurite? (not in text)
What would be a typical time constant for a neurite? (p. 192)
What is spatial summation? (p. 193-195)
What factors influences the effectiveness with which two synaptic inputs
can interact by spatial summation? (p. 194-195)
What is temporal summation? (p. 195-196)
What factors influences the effectiveness with which two synaptic inputs
can interact by temporal summation? (p. 195-196)
Summarize the factors that influence the spiking output of a neuron at
the single neuron level. (p. 196-197)
What is facilitation? (p. 197-199)
What distinguishes facilitation from temporal summation?
(p. 197)
What is the difference between homosynaptic and heterosynaptic
facilitation? (p. 198)
What is one possible mechanism for homosynaptic facilitation? (p. 198)
What is one possible mechanism for heterosynaptic facilitation? (p. 199; Figs. 8-8, 8-9)
What is potentiation? (p. 200)
What is post-tetanic potentiation (PTP)? (p. 200;
Fig. 8-10)
What is one possible mechanism for PTP? (not in
text)
What is long-term potentiation (LTP)? (p. 200-201)
What is one possible mechanism for LTP? (p. 201-202)
What role does Mg++ play in heterosynaptic LTP? (p. 200-201)