Organization of the Nervous System, Basic Functions of Synapses, and Neurotransmitters

What is the term for a prolonged output discharge from a neuronal pool that lasts from a few milliseconds to many minutes after the incoming signal has ended?

What is the cause of signal prolongation in a reverberatory or oscillatory circuit?

In a complex reverberating circuit as shown in Figure 47-14C, what is the effect of a facilitatory signal?

What is the primary cause for the sudden cessation of signal output from a typical reverberatory circuit?

What are the two primary mechanisms that can cause some neuronal circuits to emit output signals continuously, even without excitatory input signals?

In the 'carrier wave' type of information transmission, what is the function of excitatory and inhibitory control signals?

According to Figure 47-17, what effect does progressively increasing stimulation of the carotid body have on the rhythmical output of the phrenic nerve?

What are the two fundamental mechanisms that the central nervous system uses to prevent the excessive spread of signals and maintain stability?

What is the term for synaptic transmission becoming progressively weaker as the period of excitation becomes more prolonged and intense?

What is the long-term consequence of overactivity at a synapse on its receptor proteins?

How does a synaptic afterdischarge mechanism allow a single instantaneous input signal to cause a sustained output?

What characteristic distinguishes the reverberatory circuit in Figure 47-14B from the one in Figure 47-14A?

According to the text, what determines whether the total reverberating signal in a system with many parallel fibers (Figure 47-14D) is weak or strong?

How long can the output from a typical reverberatory circuit last, even if the input stimulus lasts for only 1 millisecond?

In which parts of the nervous system does the phenomenon of continuous intrinsic neuronal discharge particularly occur?

What type of information transmission, used by the autonomic nervous system to control functions like vascular tone, allows for both an increase and a decrease in signal intensity?

What is the identified cause for almost all rhythmical signals that have been studied experimentally, such as the respiratory signal?

Which type of inhibitory circuit returns signals from the termini of pathways back to inhibit the initial excitatory neurons of the same pathways?

According to Figure 47-18, what is the effect of shortening the interval between successive flexor reflexes?

What is the long-term mechanism by which the sensitivity of a synapse is increased when there is prolonged underactivity?

What cellular machinery is responsible for constantly forming the receptor proteins that are inserted into a neuron's synaptic membrane?

What is synaptic afterdischarge?

What is the simplest variety of a reverberatory circuit, as shown in Figure 47-14A?

What typically happens to the intensity of the output signal from a reverberatory circuit immediately after a single input stimulus?

What is meant by 'continuous intrinsic neuronal discharge'?

In the context of stabilizing nervous system function, what is the role of synaptic fatigue?

What is the consequence for synaptic receptors when synapses are overused, causing an excess of transmitter substance to combine with them?

What is the primary characteristic of the simplest reverberatory circuit shown in Figure 47-14A?

In a reverberatory circuit, how can the duration of the total signal before cessation be controlled?

What is the effect of an inhibitory signal on a reverberating circuit?

Which of the following is an example of a system that uses a 'carrier wave' type of information transmission?

What does synaptic fatigue cause in an overused neuronal pathway according to the principle of automatic short-term adjustment?

What is the term for a prolonged output discharge from a neuronal pool that occurs after the incoming signal has ceased?

What type of afterdischarge is caused by the development of a postsynaptic electrical potential that lasts for many milliseconds?

In a reverberatory circuit, what is the role of positive feedback?

What is the typical pattern of an output signal from a reverberatory circuit as depicted in Figure 47-15?

Which mechanism allows certain neurons, like many in the cerebellum, to emit impulses continually even without excitatory input?

What is the primary cause of instability in neuronal circuits that could lead to effects like epileptic seizures?

How do neuronal pools that exert gross inhibitory control, such as the basal ganglia, contribute to nervous system stability?

What is the primary effect of synaptic fatigue on synaptic transmission?

How does the nervous system achieve long-term changes in synaptic sensitivity?

What is the condition for upregulation of receptor proteins at a synaptic site?

An afterdischarge lasting for many milliseconds due to a long-acting synaptic transmitter causing a sustained postsynaptic potential is known as what?

In a complex system like that shown in Figure 47-14C, what is the role of an inhibitory fiber impinging on the reverberating circuit?

What physiological process underlies the 'carrier wave' type of information transmission?

How does a reverberating circuit that does not fatigue sufficiently to stop its activity function as a means for transmitting information?

What is the primary significance of the 'carrier wave' system of information transmission compared to systems that only transmit positive information?

What is the general cause of rhythmical signal outputs, such as those for respiration or scratching movements?

What mechanism of short-term sensitivity adjustment is described as being constituted by fatigue and recovery from fatigue?

What is the effect of prolonged underactivity on the number of receptor proteins at a synapse?