Astrocytes: Tripartite Synapse and Gliotransmission

Tripartite synapse, a conversation of 3. GLIOTRANSMISSION - Axon has neurotransmitters that it is releasing, on the other side on the dendrite there are receptors. Pre-synaptic (axon terminal) and post-synaptic side (dendrite). The astrocytes that are engulfing will also release chemicals. They have receptors, as well. Modifies overall activity, example, glutamate receptors being activated.

bacteria does not enter the brain

They play some sort of immune response in the brain. If they detect some sort of evidence of a foreign body, they will go into a primed state and become larger and more active, searching for the foreign body and if they find the foreign body they will become bigger and engulf and digest it. AUTOIMMUNE DISORDER, the microglia sometimes targets its own cells, which looks very similar to foreign body and makes a mistake.

genome, DNA, RNA, protein

DNA to RNA

RNA to protein

constantly growing and shrinking, very dynamic, heavily influenced by transcription and translation Eg: CTE, partially related to the cytoskeleton

Dendrites - covered in receptors, some of them have nubs or spines (almost exclusively a type that releases glutamate, usually excitatory). Non-spiny, inhibitory in nature, releasing GABA.

Schizophrenia, Down syndrome or alcohol addiction - you can see how some of their changes in function are related to some dendritic spines, such as an increase of them can lead to neurodivergence or autism and a decrease can lead to schizophrenia

Changes or variance in spines can lead to different diagnoses

Over the first few years of your life, you have a lot of synapses, you are over-wired, you can learn potentially anything but also struggle with a lot of basic things

glutamate, inhibitory

GABA, inhibitory