History of the SynapseThe History of the Synapse provides a history of those discoveries concerning the identification and function of synapses that provide the foundations for research during this new century with a personal view of the process by which new concepts have developed. Previously published as essays, the chapters in this book provide a history of various aspects of synaptic function, beginning with the evolution over two and a half thousand years and how progress was made in the establishment of a conceptual structure that would allow the synapse to be identified at the beginning of the 20th century. Numerous illustrations explain either the technical approach or the experimental finding. |
Contents
from Plato to Sherrington | 1 |
2 Emergence of the Concept of Transmitter Release at Peripheral and Central Synapses | 26 |
3 The Discovery of Acetylcholine and the Concept of Receptors at Synapses | 43 |
4 The Discovery of Adrenaline and the Concept of Autoreceptors at Synapses | 65 |
5 The Discovery of Amino Acid Transmission at Synapses in the Central Nervous System | 77 |
the Discovery of Neuroleptics | 90 |
7 The Discovery of Transmitters Other than Noradrenaline and Acetylcholine at Synapses in the Peripheral Nervous System | 105 |
8 Development of the Concept of a Calcium Sensor in Transmitter Release at Synapses | 136 |
9 The Discovery of Quantal Secretion and the Statistics of Transmitter Release at Synapses | 164 |
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Common terms and phrases
acetylcholine acid action potential activity adrenaline alpha amplitude antagonists applied autonomic axons Bennett binomial blocked brain calcium calcium channels central changes channels compared concentration conduction containing contraction determined discovery distribution dopamine Eccles effects electrical endplate established estimates et al evidence excitation excitatory experiments fibres formation ganglion given gives heart histogram idea impulse increase indicated inhibition inhibitory involved ions junction Katz Langley mean mechanism membrane molecules motoneurones motor muscle cells namely Nature nerve terminals nervous system neuromuscular junction neurones noradrenaline normal Note observed obtained occurs organ period permission Physiol polyneuronal innervation possibility postsynaptic present presynaptic probability produced protein quantal receptors recorded reinnervation relaxation response secretion showed shown single smooth muscle spinal stimulation substance suggested sympathetic synaptic trace transmission transmitter release units vagus