Human Anatomy and Physiology : General Neuron Physiology
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Example Question #21 : Help With Neurotransmitter And Receptor Physiology
A neurotransmitter with high affinity for its receptor will have a __________ association constant (Ka) and __________ dissociation constant (Kd).
low association constant; High dissociation constant
high association constant; low dissociation constant
low association constant; low dissociation constant
variable association constant; low dissociation constant
high association constant; high dissociation constant
high association constant; low dissociation constant
The affinity of a neurotransmitter for its receptor is governed by its association and dissociation constants. The association constant describes how readily it associates with the receptor. Therefore, a higher association constant means more ready association with the receptor, and higher affinity. On the other hand, the dissociation constant describes how readily it dissociates from the receptor. Therefore, a higher dissociation constant means more ready dissociation from the receptor, and lower affinity. Therefore, a high association constant and low dissociation constant means the neurotransmitter readily binds but does not readily unbind from the receptor, meaning it has a high affinity.
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