"Rich Cooper" <richcooper1 at mindspring.com> wrote in message
news:a39ksh$345$1 at slb7.atl.mindspring.net...
> Each action potential is an impulse of about 1 ms duration, but there
> is some theorizing that perhaps the molecule that crosses the synaptic
> gap may have a message that depends on its specific structure. If
> so, then much higher frequencies are needed to distinguish one
> molecule from another by the shape of their electrical impulse. To
> distinguish shapes, very much higher frequencies are needed.
Dag Stenberg has already provided some information about the different
types of synaptic transmitter that may be involved at a synapse. But your
question has some unusual aspects to it. Just what do you mean by "higher
frequencies" used to "distinguish one molecule from another"? I think there
is
some pseudo-science stuff going around about "frequencies" involved in
brain function that are somehow associated with brain chemistry and
function.
The type of synaptic transmitter, and the significance of the transmitter to
the post-synaptic cell, has nothing to do with any mysterious "frequency" of
some signal. Depolarization of the pre-synaptic terminal triggers a chain
of events resulting in release of transmitter. It is possible that
different
durations of depolarization or recent history of firing can influence the
specific mix of transmitter in those cells that release more than one
transmitter. And it is also true that chemicals differ in specific
biophysical
properties in which "frequencies" are involved -- like NMR or IR spectrum,
but that is an entirely different concept. Just what do you have in mind
when you ask about "frequency"