Excitatory postsynaptic potential

High school (ages 12+)
Human Body

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Date:

Step 1 · Read the article

Open the article and read it at the level above. Then answer the questions below in your own words.

https://smallwhale.org/articles/excitatory-postsynaptic-potential

Write what each word means, using the article.

Do not copy the article. Write two things you learned, the way you would explain them to a friend.

Answers below are taken from the article’s stored facts, so they match what the student read.

1. What is the primary neurotransmitter?Glutamate is the principal excitatory neurotransmitter in the mammalian central nervous system
2. What is the receptor types?Ionotropic glutamate receptors (AMPA, NMDA, kainate) mediate fast excitatory synaptic transmission
3. What is an excitatory postsynaptic potential (EPSP)?An EPSP is a tiny, temporary bump in the electrical charge of a neuron that makes it a little more ready to send a signal. It happens when special chemicals called neurotransmitters, like glutamate, arrive at the neuron and open channels that let positive ions flow in.
4. How does an EPSP make a neuron more likely to fire?When positive ions, mainly sodium, flow into the neuron, the inside becomes less negative. This makes the neuron closer to the threshold needed to fire an action potential, so it is more likely to send a signal.

Synaptic Cleft: The microscopic gap between the presynaptic and postsynaptic neurons where neurotransmitters are released.
Ionotropic Receptor: A receptor that directly controls an ion channel, leading to rapid changes in membrane potential.
Axon Hillock: The specialized region of a neuron where the axon arises from the cell body, serving as the primary site for action potential initiation.
Excitotoxicity: Neuronal damage or death caused by excessive stimulation by excitatory neurotransmitters.