| subliminal | Below the threshold of perception or excitation; below the limit or threshold of consciousness. Origin: sub-+ L. Limen (limin-), threshold (05 Mar 2000) |
|---|---|
| subliminal self | The sum of the mental processes which take place without the conscious knowledge of the individual. Synonym: subconscious mind. (05 Mar 2000) |
| subliminal stimulation | Stimulation at an intensity below that where a differentiated response can be elicited. (12 Dec 1998) |
| subliminal stimulus | A stimulus too weak to evoke a response. Synonym: subliminal stimulus, subthreshold stimulus. (05 Mar 2000) |
| subliminal thirst | A physiologic condition, perhaps caused by hypertonicity of body fluids, insufficient to initiate drinking but at times sufficient to sustain drinking when started; loosely, oligodipsia. Synonym: insensible thirst, subliminal thirst. Origin: hypo-+ G. Dipsa, thirst (05 Mar 2000) |
| central excitatory state | The building up of excitatory influences produced by individual impulses finally causes firing of the next neuron. (05 Mar 2000) |
| excitatory | Tending to produce excitation. (05 Mar 2000) |
| excitatory amino acid | <biochemistry> The naturally occurring amino acids L glutamate and L aspartate and their synthetic analogues, notably kainate, quisqualate and NMDA. They have the properties of excitatory neurotransmitters in the CNS, may be involved in long-term potentiation and can act as excitotoxins. at least three classes of EAA receptor have been identified, the agonists of the N type receptor are L aspartate, NMDA and ibotenate, the agonists of the Q type receptor are L glutamate and quisqualate, agonists of the K type are L glutamate and kainate. All three receptor types are found widely in the CNS and particularly the telencephalon, N and Q type receptors tend to occur together and may interact, their distribution is complementary to the K type receptors. The ion fluxes through the Q and K receptors are relatively brief, whereas the flux through the N type is longer and carries a significant amount of calcium. Additionally the N type receptor is blockaded by magnesium near the resting potential and thus shows voltage gated ion channel properties, leading to a regenerative response, this is why N type receptors have been linked to long-term potentiation. Invertebrate glutamate receptors may not have the same properties as those described above. (18 Nov 1997) |
| excitatory amino acid agents | Drugs used for their actions on any aspect of excitatory amino acid neurotransmitter systems. Included are drugs that act on excitatory amino acid receptors, affect the life cycle of excitatory amino acid transmitters, or affect the survival of neurons using excitatory amino acids. (12 Dec 1998) |
| excitatory amino acid agonists | Drugs that bind to and activate excitatory amino acid receptors. (12 Dec 1998) |
| excitatory amino acid antagonists | Drugs that bind to but do not activate excitatory amino acid receptors, thereby blocking the actions of agonists. (12 Dec 1998) |
| excitatory amino acids | Endogenous amino acids released by neurons as excitatory neurotransmitters. Glutamic acid is the most common excitatory neurotransmitter in the brain. Aspartic acid has been regarded as an excitatory transmitter for many years, but the extent of its role as a transmitter is unclear. (12 Dec 1998) |
| excitatory junction potential | Discrete partial depolarisation of smooth muscle produced by stimulation of excitatory nerves; similar to small end-plate potentials. They summate with repeated stimuli. (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) |