Cherry Liza Tabago

BSN IV-H

Briefly describe how neurotransmitters are synthesize, stored, release and

inactivated.

 Neurotransmitters communicate messages from one neuron to another or

from a neuron to a specific target tissue. Neurotransmitters are manufactured
and stored in synaptic vesicles. They enable conduction of impulses across
the synaptic cleft. Each neurotransmitters has an affinity for specific receptors
in the post synaptic bulb. When released, the neurotransmitter crosses the
synaptic cleft and binds to receptors in the synaptic membrane. The action of
a neurotransmitter is to potentiate , terminate or modulate a specific action,
and it can either excite or inhibit the activity of the target cell.

Function of autonomic nervous system and compare the anatomic location and
function of the sympathetic and parasympathetic.

 The autonomic nervous system contains motor neurons that regulates

visceral organs and innervate (supply nerves to) smooth and cardiac muscles
and the glands.
 Sympathetic nervous system which controls “fight or flight” responses;
stimulates the heartbeat, dilates the pupils and contract the blood vessels and
in general. Sympathetic neurons are located primarily in the thoracic and the
lumbar segments of the spinal cord, and their axons, or the preganglionic
fibers, emerge by way of ante segment nerve roots from the eight cervical or
first thoracic segment to the second or third lumbar segment.
 Parasympathetic nervous system which maintains baseline body functions.
During quiet, non stressful conditions, impulses from parasympathetic fibers
(cholinergic) predominate. The parasympathetic nerves arise from the
midbrain and the medulla oblongata .
Racquel G. Bermudez
BSN IV-H

Briefly describe how neurotransmitters are synthesize, stored, release and

inactivated.

 Neurotransmitters are synthesized in neurons and act locally. They are

released into a synaptic cleft providing a diffusible chemical signal from one
cell to the next, cells which are not in direct contact with each other. These
synapses are therefore referred to as chemical synapses, as opposed to
electrical synapses, which use a gap junction mediated coupling of action
potentials without a mediating chemical signaling mechanism. The signal
transmission of the latter is much faster than that found in chemical synapses.
Neurotransmitters bind to receptor proteins and channels and initiate
signaling events mainly related to electrical transmissions such as action
potentials, or stimulating calcium waves in the cytoplasm.
 Stored and released of neurotransmitter Neurotransmitters are made in the
cell body of the neuron and then transported down the axon to the axon
terminal. Molecules of neurotransmitters are stored in small "packages" called
vesicles (see the picture on the right). Neurotransmitters are released from
the axon terminal when their vesicles "fuse" with the membrane of the axon
terminal, spilling the neurotransmitter into the synaptic cleft.

Function of autonomic nervous system and compare the anatomic location and
function of the sympathetic and parasympathetic.

 The autonomic nervous system is a part of the peripheral nervous system that
functions to regulate the basic visceral (organ) processes needed for the
maintenance of normal bodily functions. It operates independently of
voluntary control, although certain events, such as emotional stress, fear,
sexual excitement, and alterations in the sleep-wakefulness cycle, change the
level of autonomic activity.

The autonomic system is usually defined as a motor system that innervates

three major types of tissue: cardiac muscle, smooth muscle, and glands.
However, this definition needs to be expanded to encompass the fact that it
also relays visceral sensory information into the central nervous system and
processes it in such a way as to make alterations in the activity of specific
autonomic motor outflows, such as those that control the heart, blood vessels,
and other visceral organs. It also causes the release of certain hormones
involved in energy metabolism (e.g., insulin, glucagons, epinephrine) or
 cardiovascular functions (e.g., renin, vasopressin). These integrated
responses maintain the normal internal environment of the body in an
equilibrium state called homeostasis.

The autonomic system consists of two major divisions: the sympathetic

nervous system and the parasympathetic nervous system. These often
function in antagonistic ways. The motor outflow of both systems is formed by
two serially connected sets of neurons. The first set, called preganglionic
neurons, originates in the brain stem or the spinal cord, and the second set,
called ganglion cells or postganglionic neurons, lies outside the central
nervous system in collections of nerve cells called autonomic ganglia.
Parasympathetic ganglia tend to lie close to or within the organs or tissues
that their neurons innervate, whereas sympathetic ganglia lie at a more
distant site from their target organs. Both systems have associated sensory
fibers that send feedback information into the central nervous system
regarding the functional condition of target tissues. A third division of the
autonomic system, termed the enteric nervous system, consists of a
collection of neurons embedded within the wall of the entire gastrointestinal
tract and its derivatives. This system controls gastrointestinal motility and
secretions.
 Sympathetic nervous system which controls “fight or flight” responses;
stimulates the heartbeat, dilates the pupils and contract the blood vessels and
in general. Sympathetic neurons are located primarily in the thoracic and the
lumbar segments of the spinal cord, and their axons, or the preganglionic
fibers, emerge by way of ante segment nerve roots from the eight cervical or
first thoracic segment to the second or third lumbar segment.
 Parasympathetic nervous system which maintains baseline body functions.
During quiet, non stressful conditions, impulses from parasympathetic fibers
(cholinergic) predominate. The parasympathetic nerves arise from the
midbrain and the medulla oblongata .