Chemical and Electrical Synapses: A Biology Discussion Response

This discussion post analyzes the characteristics of chemical and electrical synapses. The author agrees with a previous statement that chemical synapses are unidirectional and facilitate interaction between the nervous system and other body parts. The post explains excitatory and inhibitory postsynaptic potentials in chemical synapses and highlights the role of electrical synapses in reflexes. It also notes the advantages of chemical synapses like signal amplification and computation. The author then raises a question about the reliability of the two types of synapses, considering the higher number of chemical synapses versus the less-blockable nature of electrical synapses, referencing several scientific articles to support the arguments made. The post seeks to understand which synapse type is more reliable in the body.

Running head: RESPONSE 1
Response
Name
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RESPONSE 2
I agree with Michelle that chemical synapses are unidirectional and they enhance the
interaction between the nervous system and other parts of the body. One reason why
chemical synapses are mainly unidirectional is that, inhibitory and excitatory
postsynaptic potentials (Mostaghimi, Nazarimehr, Jafari & Ma, 2019). During chemical
synapse, neurotransmitters bind with the receptors in the target cell thus producing a
localized change in the potential of the membrane. An excitatory postsynaptic potential
is when the change allows the target cell to fire its action potential. The inhibitory
postsynaptic potential is when the chances of the target cell firing its action potential are
very low (Zheng & Raman, 2010). It is also important to note that chemical synapses
interact closely with electrical synapses to enable the brain to function normally just like
Michelle has mentioned. I would, however, wish to add that electrical signals are fewer
in number when compared to the chemical synapses. Additionally, the postsynaptic
membranes in electrical synapses are so close together that they are physically
connected using channel proteins. This makes electrical synapses instantaneous as
compared to chemical synapses that depend on the release of neurotransmitter
molecules hence there may be a delay of about one millisecond (Majhi, Perc & Ghosh,
2016). This instantaneous nature of electrical synapses makes them important in key
reflexes. This idea can be validated by situations that put an individual in danger. For
example, I have always observed that anytime I accidentally touch a flame from
something like a burning candle, I will immediately withdraw my hand. This is because
the brain sends electric synapses to the arm thus aiding with the reflex action. However,
having read the work of Michelle on the importance of both electrical and chemical
synapses, I have been wondering which of the two synapses is more reliable in the
body. My question is based on the fact that chemical synapses are more than electrical
synapses but electrical synapses are less likely to be blocked ("Chemical and Electrical
Synapses | Biology for Majors II", 2020).

RESPONSE 3
Reference
Chemical and Electrical Synapses | Biology for Majors II. (2020). Retrieved 12 April
2020, from https://courses.lumenlearning.com/wm-biology2/chapter/chemical-
and-electrical-synapses/
Majhi, S., Perc, M., & Ghosh, D. (2016). Chimera states in uncoupled neurons induced
by a multilayer structure. Scientific reports, 6, 39033.
Mostaghimi, S., Nazarimehr, F., Jafari, S., & Ma, J. (2019). Chemical and electrical
synapse-modulated dynamical properties of coupled neurons under magnetic
flow. Applied Mathematics and Computation, 348, 42-56.
Zheng, N., & Raman, I. M. (2010). Synaptic inhibition, excitation, and plasticity in
neurons of the cerebellar nuclei. The Cerebellum, 9(1), 56-66.