> > 1) How does a neuron know whether to send excitatory or inhibitory
> > signals?.. I understand the idea that a neuron fires if the sum of the
> > signals IT receives is excitatory?..
> > 2) What is an example of an inhibitory neural process?
>> My understanding is that it is the NT and receptor sites which determine
> whether an effect is inhibitory or excitatory. In neurons the effect of a
> NT binding to its receptor is to allow an electrical current to flow
through
> the membrane, which changes the electrical charge across the nerve
membrane.
> Since neurons conduct electrical signals along their membranes, the effect
> of a particular type of receptor is either to excite this electrical
> activity or to inhibit it.
Unless opinion has changed recently I believe the statement "allow an
electrical current to flow"
would not be acceptable to the neuroscience community. Agreed that the
nervous system
models some aspects of electrical circuits but it does this through ions not
the flow of electrons.
Ron Blue
http://turn.to/ai
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