The Physiology of Synapses

The Physiology of Synapses covers the considerable advances in understanding the complex physiology of synapses. This book is divided into 16 chapters that emphasize the mechanism of synaptic transmission.

The first chapters describe the structural and physiological features of chemically transmitting synapses. The subsequent chapters deal with the excitatory postsynaptic responses to presynaptic impulse and the release of transmitter by presynaptic impulses. These topics are followed by discussions of the impulse generation by the excitatory postsynaptic potential; the postsynaptic electrical events produced by chemically transmitting inhibitory synapses; the ionic mechanism generating the inhibitory postsynaptic potential. The last chapters consider the mechanism of inhibitory transmitter substances, pathways responsible for postsynaptic inhibitory action, and the trophic and plastic properties of synapses.

This book will prove useful to physiologists, neurologists, and researchers.

I. The Development of Ideas on the Synapse

II. Structural Features of Chemically Transmitting Synapses

III. Physiological Properties of Chemically Transmitting Synapses in the Resting State

IV. Excitatory Postsynaptic Responses to Presynaptic Impulses

V. Excitatory Transmitter Substances

VI. The Release of Transmitter by Presynaptic Impulses

VII. The Generation of Impulses by the Excitatory Postsynaptic Potential and the Endplate Potential

VIII. The Presynaptic Terminals of Chemically Transmitting Synapses

IX. Excitatory Synapses Operating by Electrical Transmission

X. The Postsynaptic Electrical Events Produced by Chemically Transmitting Inhibitory Synapses

XI. The Ionic Mechanism Generating the Inhibitory Postsynaptic Potential

XII. Inhibitory Transmitter Substances

XIII. Pathways Responsible for Postsynaptic Inhibitory Action

XIV. Inhibitory Synapses Operating by Electrical Transmission

XV. Presynaptic Inhibition

XVI. The Trophic and Plastic Properties of Synapses

Epilogue

References

Subject Index