Question

A new drug, Wacky, is discovered that dramatically affects synaptic transmission at synapses containing the neurotransmitter Vital-4u. You are interested in determining how the drug affects synaptic transmission. The drug could target a number of different stages in the life-cycle​ ​of​ ​Vital-4u. A​:​ ​Vital:​ ​a​ ​precursor​ ​molecule B​:​ ​V-synthase:​ ​synthesizes​ ​Vital-4u​ ​from​ ​Vital C​:​ ​VPAT:​ ​packages​ ​Vital-4u​ ​into​ ​vesicles D​:​ ​Vital-4u:​ ​postsynaptic​ ​​ ​receptor E​:​ ​Vitalase:​ ​breaks​ ​down​ ​Vital-4u​ ​into​ ​Vital F​:​ ​VAT:​ ​moves​ ​Vital​ ​into​ ​the​ ​cytosol a) Circle the best answer : If Wacky is an agonist of the postsynaptic Vital-4u receptor,​ ​then​ ​you​ ​would​ ​expect​ ​Wacky​ ​to​ ​___​ ​the​ ​Vital-4u​ ​receptor.

Answer 1

Wacky, as an agonist of the Vital-4u receptor, would activate or enhance the function of the receptor, imitating the effect of the naturally occurring neurotransmitter Vital-4u and impacting the postsynaptic neuron's action potential.

Step-by-step explanation:

If Wacky is an agonist of the postsynaptic Vital-4u receptor, you would expect Wacky to activate or enhance the Vital-4u receptor. Agonists mimic the action of a naturally occurring neurotransmitter, in this case, Vital-4u. When an agonist binds to a receptor, it typically results in the opening of ion channels, causing either depolarization or hyperpolarization of the postsynaptic membrane. The depolarizing or hyperpolarizing effect is directly associated with the type of ion channel the receptor controls. As an agonist, Wacky would bind to the Vital-4u receptor and produce a response similar to that of the neurotransmitter Vital-4u, thereby affecting the postsynaptic neuron's likelihood of firing an action potential.

Answer 2

If Wacky is an agonist of the postsynaptic Vital-4u receptor, then you would expect Wacky to activate the Vital-4u receptor.

Step-by-step explanation:

If the drug Wacky is an agonist of the postsynaptic Vital-4u receptor, it would be expected to activate the Vital-4u receptor. Agonists are chemicals that mimic a neurotransmitter and bind to the receptor, activating it and producing a response. In this case, Wacky would mimic Vital-4u and bind to the postsynaptic receptor, leading to the activation of the receptor and a corresponding effect on synaptic transmission.