NKU MSN 671 Final Study Guide.Final Test Paper
2026\2027.
What initiates classic synaptic neurotransmission?
An action potential travels down the axon and
reaches the presynaptic terminal.
What happens during calcium influx in
neurotransmission?
Voltage-gated calcium channels open, allowing
calcium ions to rush into the presynaptic terminal.
What is vesicle fusion and release in
neurotransmission?
Neurotransmitter-filled vesicles move toward the
presynaptic membrane, fuse with it, and release
neurotransmitters into the synaptic cleft.
What occurs when neurotransmitters bind to
receptors on the postsynaptic neuron?
,NKU MSN 671 Final Study Guide.Final Test Paper
2026\2027.
They cause either an excitatory postsynaptic
potential (EPSP) or an inhibitory postsynaptic
potential (IPSP).
What are the three main mechanisms for
neurotransmitter deactivation?
Reuptake, enzymatic degradation, and diffusion.
What is the primary trigger for ligand-gated ion
channels?
The binding of a neurotransmitter (a chemical
'ligand').
What is the function of voltage-sensitive ion
channels?
They open or close in response to voltage
changes, critical for generating and propagating
action potentials.
What is the role of sodium-charged ion channels?
,NKU MSN 671 Final Study Guide.Final Test Paper
2026\2027.
They allow sodium ions (Na+) to flow, causing
rapid depolarization.
What is the primary function of presynaptic
transporters?
They pump neurotransmitters back into the
presynaptic terminal for recycling or degradation.
What is the primary role of norepinephrine?
Involved in alertness, wakefulness, attention,
mood, and the 'fight-or-flight' stress response.
What is acetylcholine crucial for?
Muscle contraction, learning, memory, and
attention.
What is melatonin's primary function?
Regulates circadian rhythms and promotes sleep
onset.
What does serotonin regulate?
, NKU MSN 671 Final Study Guide.Final Test Paper
2026\2027.
Mood, sleep, appetite, impulse control, and sexual
function.
What is dopamine central to?
The reward/pleasure system, motivation, executive
functions, and motor control regulation.
What is the main role of GABA?
It is the brain's main inhibitory neurotransmitter,
reducing neuronal excitability.
What does histamine promote?
Wakefulness, immune response, and stomach acid
secretion.
What triggers melatonin production during
darkness?
The absence of light detected by the retina sends
signals to the suprachiasmatic nucleus.
2026\2027.
What initiates classic synaptic neurotransmission?
An action potential travels down the axon and
reaches the presynaptic terminal.
What happens during calcium influx in
neurotransmission?
Voltage-gated calcium channels open, allowing
calcium ions to rush into the presynaptic terminal.
What is vesicle fusion and release in
neurotransmission?
Neurotransmitter-filled vesicles move toward the
presynaptic membrane, fuse with it, and release
neurotransmitters into the synaptic cleft.
What occurs when neurotransmitters bind to
receptors on the postsynaptic neuron?
,NKU MSN 671 Final Study Guide.Final Test Paper
2026\2027.
They cause either an excitatory postsynaptic
potential (EPSP) or an inhibitory postsynaptic
potential (IPSP).
What are the three main mechanisms for
neurotransmitter deactivation?
Reuptake, enzymatic degradation, and diffusion.
What is the primary trigger for ligand-gated ion
channels?
The binding of a neurotransmitter (a chemical
'ligand').
What is the function of voltage-sensitive ion
channels?
They open or close in response to voltage
changes, critical for generating and propagating
action potentials.
What is the role of sodium-charged ion channels?
,NKU MSN 671 Final Study Guide.Final Test Paper
2026\2027.
They allow sodium ions (Na+) to flow, causing
rapid depolarization.
What is the primary function of presynaptic
transporters?
They pump neurotransmitters back into the
presynaptic terminal for recycling or degradation.
What is the primary role of norepinephrine?
Involved in alertness, wakefulness, attention,
mood, and the 'fight-or-flight' stress response.
What is acetylcholine crucial for?
Muscle contraction, learning, memory, and
attention.
What is melatonin's primary function?
Regulates circadian rhythms and promotes sleep
onset.
What does serotonin regulate?
, NKU MSN 671 Final Study Guide.Final Test Paper
2026\2027.
Mood, sleep, appetite, impulse control, and sexual
function.
What is dopamine central to?
The reward/pleasure system, motivation, executive
functions, and motor control regulation.
What is the main role of GABA?
It is the brain's main inhibitory neurotransmitter,
reducing neuronal excitability.
What does histamine promote?
Wakefulness, immune response, and stomach acid
secretion.
What triggers melatonin production during
darkness?
The absence of light detected by the retina sends
signals to the suprachiasmatic nucleus.
