Question

4. Neurotransmitter exocytosis and reuptake: a. What type of organic molecule is Acetylcholine (neurotransmitter)? b. Where is Acetylcholine made in the cell and how does it end up in the axon terminal? c. What type of transport is exocytosis, and does it require ATP? d. How does Acetylcholine move from the pre-synaptic cell to the post-synaptic cell? e. What is neurotransmitter reuptake, and why is it important for synaptic transmission?

Answer 1

Answer 1

Acetylcholine is an organic compound that has a vital function in the brain and other body parts. It acts as a neurotransmitter, that defined as a chemical message that is released from the nerve cells to other cells as a signal. Acetylcholine is the organic chemical made of an ester of acetic acid and choline molecule.

Answer 2

Acetylcholine is an organic chemical that is produced by neurons by the action of enzyme choline acetyltransferase. The Cholinergic neurons are the neuron that is capable of producing Acetylcholine. Acetylcholine is generally stored in the terminal in small sacs or vesicles. When an electrical impulse is generated in the cell body that travels down the axon to the terminal, release of acetylcholine is triggered and hence it moves from the vesicles into the space between neurons

Answer 3

Exocytosis is the process of transportation of materials from inside the cell to the exterior of the cell. Exocytosis is required energy and it is termed as active transport. There are mainly two types of transport that are exocytosis and endocytosis. In both the transport energy is required in the form of ATP.

Answer 4

Steps in the movement of acetylcholine

1. The initial step of movement is generated when an action potential arrives at the terminal end of the presynaptic cell.

2. This leads to the opening of calcium channels in the presynaptic axon terminal.

3. The calcium ions are then bound to synaptotagmin.

4. Acetylcholine later traverses the synaptic cleft and bind the acetylcholine receptor that is embedded in the postsynaptic membrane.

Answer 5

Neurotransmitter reuptake is described as the reabsorption of a neurotransmitter that is done by the transporter which is located along the plasma membrane of an axon terminal, after completion of transmitting a neural impulse.

Reuptake is important for normal synaptic physiology as it allows for the recycling of neurotransmitters and also regulates the level of neurotransmitter that is present in the synapse hence it controls the signal resulting from neurotransmitter release.

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