Final answer:
Antagonistic center-surround organization refers to the pattern wherein inhibitory signals surround a region of excitatory signals, enhancing spatial resolution in sensory processing. Neurons communicate through electrical and chemical signals, involving neurotransmitters like GABA and glutamate that contribute to the excitatory and inhibitory balance vital for proper brain function.
Step-by-step explanation:
Antagonistic center-surround organization means that inhibitory signals surround excitatory signals. This is a spatial arrangement found in the nervous system, particularly in the retina of the eye and in sensory processing areas of the brain. In this organization, the center region is stimulated, which produces excitatory signals, while the surrounding regions are inhibited, thus sharpening the spatial resolution of sensory information. An example of this is in the visual system, where retinal ganglion cells are stimulated to increase firing rates in response to light in the center of their receptive field and decreased firing rates in response to light in the surround.
Neurons transmit information using both chemical signaling and electrical signals. Neurotransmitters, like GABA and glutamate, play crucial roles in these processes. GABAergic synapses are typically inhibitory, while glutamatergic synapses are excitatory. Understanding the balance between these excitatory and inhibitory signals is essential in neurobiology as it is linked to various neuropsychiatric conditions.