Monday, May 5, 2008

Are neurotransmitters reused?

Question: Is the pre-synaptic and post synaptic thing a continuous cycle? means like the neurotransmitters are like reused. is it?

Answer: Yeah, neurons are made to fire across synapses more than once. Each time it fires, the neurons try to recycle as much neurotransmitters as possible to conserve precious energy to produce them, and also to stop a signal. Why do you need to stop a signal? Imagine the neurotransmitters are kept bound to receptors at the post-synaptic membrane, it spells trouble. The signal is "always on". Not a gd idea.

There's another way to stop a signal from propagating across the synapse though. By breaking down the neurotransmitter. Baygon insecticides (and many oth brands) contain an active ingredient which inhibits the enzyme that breaks down the neurotransmitter, acetylcholine. So what happens? The acetylcholine remains bound on the receptors and the postsynaptic neuron keeps on firing electric signals. Now you know why the cockroach twitches it muscles and goes into spasms before it dies from the insecticide. This is essentially how nerve gases work when the Nazis used it against the Jews during WW2.

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