PHYP211 SPATIAL SUMMATION

WEEK 3- COMMUNICATION AND SYNAPSES
THE CONCEPT OF THE SYNAPSE
• Neurons communicate by transmitting
chemicals at junctions, called “synapses”
• In 1906, Charles Scott Sherrington
physiologically demonstrated that
communication between one neuron and
the next differs from communication along
a single axon.
• He inferred a specialized gap between
neurons and introduced the term synapse.
• Sherrington’s discovery was an amazing
feat of scientific reasoning, as he used
behavioral observations to infer the major
properties of synapses half a century
before researchers had the technology to
measure those properties directly
PROPERTIES OF SYNAPSES
Sherrington observed several properties of
reflexes that suggest special processes at the
junctions between neurons:
(1) Reflexes are slower than conduction along an
axon.
(2) Several weak stimuli presented at nearby
places or times produce a stronger reflex than
one stimulus alone does.
(3) When one set of muscles becomes excited, a
different set becomes relaxed.
• Sherrington also noticed that several small
stimuli on a similar location produced a
reflex when a single stimuli did not
• This led to the idea of spatial summation
or that synaptic input from several
locations can have a cumulative effect and
trigger a nerve Impulse
• Spatial summation is critical to brain
functioning
• Each neuron receives many incoming
axons that frequently produce
synchronized responses
• Temporal summation and spatial
summation ordinarily occur together
• The order of a series of axons influences
the results
INHIBITORY SYNAPSES
Inhibitory postsynaptic potential (IPSP) Occurs
when synaptic input selectively opens the gates
for potassium ions to leave the cell (carrying a
positive charge with them) or for chloride ions to
enter the cell (carrying a negative charge).
• Serves as an active “brake” that
suppresses excitation

- The circuit from sensory neuron to muscle

response is called a reflex arc.

TEMPORAL SUMMATION
Sherrington found that repeated stimuli within a
brief time have a cumulative effect. He referred
to this phenomenon as temporal summation,
meaning summation over time.
- Repeated stimuli can have a cumulative
effect and can produce a nerve impulse
when a single stimuli is too weak
• Presynaptic neuron: neuron that
delivers the synaptic transmission
• Postsynaptic neuron: neuron that
receives the message
• Excitatory postsynaptic potential
(EPSP): graded potential that decays over
time and space
• The cumulative effect of EPSPs are the
basis for temporal and spatial summation