| postsynaptic | Pertaining to the area on the distal side of a synaptic cleft. (05 Mar 2000) |
|---|---|
| postsynaptic cell | In a chemical synapse, the cell that receives a signal (binds neurotransmitter) from the presynaptic cell and responds with depolarisation In an electrical synapse, the postsynaptic cell would just be downstream, but since many electrical synapses are rectifying, one of the two cells involved will always be postsynaptic. (18 Nov 1997) |
| postsynaptic membrane | That part of the plasma membrane of a neuron or muscle fibre with which an axon terminal forms a synaptic junction; in many instances, at least part of such a small postsynaptic membrane patch shows characteristic morphological modifications such as greater thickness and higher electron-density, believed to correspond to the transmitter-sensitive receptor site of such synapses. (05 Mar 2000) |
| postsynaptic potential | In a synapse, a change in the resting potential of a postsynaptic cell following stimulation of the presynaptic cell. For example: in a cholinergic synapse, the release of acetylcholine from the presynaptic cell causes channels to open in the postsynaptic cell. Each channel opening causes a small depolarisation, known as a miniature end plate potential (mepp), these sum to produce an excitatory postsynaptic potential. (18 Nov 1997) |
| inhibitory postsynaptic potential | The change in potential produced in the membrane of the next neuron when an impulse which has an inhibitory influence arrives at the synapse; it is a local change in the direction of hyperpolarization; the frequency of discharge of a given neuron is determined by the extent to which impulses that lead to excitatory postsynaptic potential's predominate over those that cause inhibitory postsynaptic potential's. (05 Mar 2000) |
| excitatory postsynaptic potential | The change in potential which is produced in the membrane of the next neuron when an impulse which has an excitatory influence arrives at the synapse; it is a local change in the direction of depolarisation; summation of these potential's can lead to discharge of an impulse by the neuron. (05 Mar 2000) |
| excitatory postsynaptic potentials | The change in potential produced in the membrane of the next neuron when an impulse which has an excitatory influence arrives at the synapse; it is a local change in the direction of depolarisation; summation of these potentials can lead to discharge of an impulse by the neuron. (12 Dec 1998) |
| autonomic motor neuron | See: motor neuron. (05 Mar 2000) |
| bipolar neuron | A neuron that has two processes arising from opposite poles of the cell body. (05 Mar 2000) |
| magnocellular neuron | <anatomy, neurology> A neuron in the magnocellular region of the brain. Perhaps the first class of neuron from the central nervous system shown to be sensitive to nerve growth factor (that had previously been thought only to act at the periphery). (18 Nov 1997) |
| ganglionic motor neuron | See: motor neuron. (05 Mar 2000) |
| Mauthner neuron | <biology, marine biology> Large neuron in the mesencephalon of fishes and amphibians. A rare example of an individually identifiable neuron in a vertebrate nervous system. (18 Nov 1997) |
| visceral motor neuron | See: motor neuron. (05 Mar 2000) |
| cell adhesion molecules, neuron-glia | Cell adhesion molecules that mediate neuron-neuron adhesion and neuron-astrocyte adhesion. They are expressed on neurons and schwann cells, but not astrocytes and are involved in neuronal migration, neurite fasciculation, and outgrowth. Ng-cam is immunologically and structurally distinct from ncam (neural cell adhesion molecules). (12 Dec 1998) |
| Golgi type II neuron | <physiology> Nerve cells with short axons which ramify in the gray matter. (05 Mar 2000) |