Inhibitory System

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The ability to respond to the environment is an essential aspect of life. The various sensory systems are all fine-tuned to respond to a myriad of signals from the environment allowing perception. Physiologically, a sensory system will take a physical stimulus from the environment, such as heat or a sound wave, and transduce it into an electrical response that it transmitted to the central nervous system. In the central nervous system, the signal is interpreted, and a signal is sent back via efferent neurons. The interpretation of a range of stimuli, and their respective responses, is the basis of an input-output function. In the auditory system, this is the means through which mechanical sound waves are taken in, and their varying frequencies …show more content…

More specifically, the ability to shift input-output functions could show an intrinsic property of the spiral ganglion neurons that allows them to respond to varying inputs, in this case, frequencies. However, over time, input-output functions tend to shift on their own with repeated stimulation. Determining the cause of this shift will allow for a more accurate representation of the neurons true electrophysiological properties. In order to test for these results, patch-clamping technology will be utilized, in order to inject current directly into spiral ganglion neurons. By creating successive input-output functions over time, with varying internal solutions, potential trends can be defined, and from that, a potential mechanism can be established that could be responsible for any changes that are noticed. An ATP-regenerative internal solution will help in the stability of the neuron and aid in determining the true nature of the input-output function shift. Data pertaining to both voltage and current-dependent properties of the spiral ganglion neurons will also be analyzed. The properties of channels that are activated by both hyperpolarization and depolarization will be analyzed to identify a mechanism for the differing properties of the lower and upper half of an input-output function as well as its double Boltzmann character. Comparing any potential changes in both of these properties could help to discover an underlying mechanism that contributes to the changes that are seen in the input-output functions. Over time, it is expected that the input-output functions of spiral ganglion neurons will shift in varying way depending on the internal solution in

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