Excitatory Synapses
Excitatory Synapses - Related Videos
02:47
The Synapse
0 Views •
2019
Neurons communicate with one another by passing on their electrical signals to other neurons. A synapse is the location where two neurons meet to exchange signals. At the synapse, the neuron that sends the signal is called the presynaptic cell, while the neuron that receives the message is called the postsynaptic cell. Note that most neurons can be both presynaptic and postsynaptic, as they both transmit and receive information. An electrical synapse is one type of synapse in which the pre-...
07:44
Evaluation of Synapse Density in Hippocampal Rodent Brain Slices
0 Views •
Cited by 31 •
2017
A protocol for accurately identifying and analyzing synapses in hippocampal slices using immunofluorescence is outlined in this article.
18:11
Quantifying Synapses: an Immunocytochemistry-based Assay to Quantify Synapse Number
0 Views •
Cited by 270 •
2010
This protocol details how to quantify synapse number both in dissociated neuronal culture and in brain sections using immunocytochemistry. Using compartment-specific antibodies, we label presynaptic terminals as well as sites of postsynaptic specialization. We define synapses as points of colocalization between the signals generated by these markers.
03:52
An Electrophysiological Study of Retinogeniculate and Corticogeniculate Synapses in Mouse Brain Slices
0 Views •
2025
The video describes the electrophysiological recording of retinogeniculate and corticogeniculate synapses in mouse brain slices. The slices containing the dorsal lateral geniculate nucleus (dLGN) are placed in a recording chamber. A stimulating pipette is positioned on either the optic tract to stimulate retinal ganglion cells (RGCs) and investigate retinogeniculate synapses or the nucleus reticularis thalami to stimulate cortical neurons and investigate corticogeniculate synapses. Upon...
04:27
MicroRNA-Mediated Inhibition of Excitatory Postsynaptic Currents in Mouse Hippocampal Slices
0 Views •
2025
This video demonstrates microRNA-mediated inhibition of excitatory synaptic currents in mouse hippocampal brain slices. The CA3 neurons were infected with a recombinant viral vector harboring a construct for expressing a fluorescent reporter, a light-activated membrane channel, and a microRNA that downregulates the expression of voltage-gated calcium channels. Upon placing a slice in a recording chamber and patching a CA1 neuron with a recording pipette, light pulses were used to stimulate the...
FAQs
Receptor activation links glutamate signaling to a postsynaptic electrical change. When AMPA and NMDA receptors are activated, cations enter the postsynaptic cell and produce depolarization. This shift changes the membrane state in a direction that increases the likelihood of an action potential. In network analysis, receptor activation connects neurotransmitter release with how the receiving neuron integrates excitatory input.
The presynaptic action potential provides the initiating event for transmission at the synapse. When it reaches the presynaptic terminal, it triggers neurotransmitter release into the synaptic cleft. Glutamate can then activate receptors on the postsynaptic neuron, creating a defined sequence from presynaptic electrical activity to chemical signaling and, ultimately, postsynaptic depolarization.
Depolarization is important because it increases the receiving neuron's likelihood of generating an action potential. Excitatory inputs can therefore contribute to the integration of signals arriving across neural networks rather than acting as isolated events. This relationship helps explain why excitatory synapses are central to neural communication and why their regulation affects broader nervous-system function.
A useful conceptual sequence begins with an action potential arriving at the presynaptic terminal, followed by neurotransmitter release into the synaptic cleft. The analysis then tracks glutamate activation of postsynaptic AMPA and NMDA receptors, cation entry, and membrane depolarization. This ordered framework helps relate the initiating neural event to the postsynaptic outcome without separating electrical and chemical stages.
Their contribution is closely associated with synaptic plasticity, the capacity of synaptic communication to change. Excitatory synapses are specifically linked with long-term potentiation, a form of plasticity relevant to learning and memory. Studying these connections allows researchers to examine how changes in synaptic strength may support lasting modifications in neural network communication.
These areas connect synaptic mechanisms with both normal and abnormal nervous-system function. Development and regulation help explain how excitatory communication is established and controlled, while dysfunction provides a framework for investigating neurological disease. The same synapses are also relevant to sensory processing, learning, and memory, making them a broad focus of neuroscience research.