Dendrites as transmitters
Dendrites as transmitters
Classically, dendrites have been considered to be passive structures that receive signals and do little else. It is now established that dendrites are significantly more complex than originally thought. Furthermore, while it is thought that dendrites are good listeners, it was believed they did not have much to say, with the role of chief communicator left to the opinionated and highly vocal axon that voiced (sometimes with a bit of modulation of presynaptic context) the opinion of the neuron. Exceptions to this rule have been duly noted, but emphasized little. This chapter focuses on the role of dendrites as transmitters rather than receivers, describing the way that through the release of neurotransmitters dendrites can convey information about local activity across small numbers of synapses to nearby cells. The focus is on the idea that, by acting at a local level across many branches of a neuron's dendritic tree, dendritic release has a profound impact on global neuronal function in a variety of brain areas, with special focus on the olfactory bulb.
Keywords: dendrites, neurotransmitters, dendritic tree, dendritic release, brain areas, synapses
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