| 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) |
| absolute terminal innervation ratio | The number of motor endplates divided by the number of terminal axons related to them. (05 Mar 2000) |
| amino-terminal | <biochemistry> The end of a protein or polypeptide chain with the unattached amino group or the aminoacyl residue containing it. Each amino acid in the chain has an amino group on one side, which is attached to the carboxyl group (COOH group) of the previous amino acid, and a carboxyl group on the other side (which is attached to the amino group of the next amino acid). The other end of the polypeptide chain is called the carboxyl terminal. Synonym: NH2-terminal. (14 Aug 2000) |
| amino-terminal residue | <biochemistry> The only amino acid residue in a polypeptide chain that has a free alpha-amino group, it defines the amino terminus of the polypeptide. (09 Oct 1997) |
| axonal terminal boutons | The somewhat enlarged, often club-shaped endings by which axons make synaptic contacts with other nerve cells or with effector cells (muscle or gland cells). As isolated, by homogenizing brain or spinal cord, they contain acetylcholine and the related enzymes. Terminals contain neurotransmitters of various kinds, sometimes more than one. These can be demonstrated by chemical analysis and immunocytochemical methods. See: synapse. Synonym: axonal terminal boutons, end-feet, neuropodia, pieds terminaux, synaptic boutons, synaptic endings, synaptic terminals, terminal boutons, bouton terminaux. (05 Mar 2000) |
| carboxyl terminal | The end of a polypeptide chain with the unattached carboxyl group (a -COOH group). Each amino acid in the middle of the chain has an amino group (a -NH2 group) on one side (which is attached to the carboxyl group of the previous amino acid) and a carboxyl group on the other side (which is attached to the amino group of the next amino acid). The other end of the polypeptide chain is called the amino terminal. (09 Oct 1997) |
| carboxyl-terminal residue | This amino acid residue defines the carboxylterminus of the polypeptide, its the only residue with a free alpha-carboxyl group. (09 Oct 1997) |
| carboxy terminal | The end of a peptide or protein having a free carboxyl (-COOH) group. (05 Mar 2000) |
| carboxy-terminal domain kinase | <enzyme> Protein kinase that phosphorylates the c-terminal repeat domain of the largest subunit of RNA polymerase II at serine residues Registry number: EC 2.7.1.- Synonym: ctd kinase, hs-ctd kinase, tfiih-associated ctd kinase (26 Jun 1999) |