The NMDA receptor is unusual in that it is ________-dependent and ________- dependent.
A) Ca2+; Cl-
B) neurotransmitter; hormone
C) voltage; neurotransmitter
D) Na+; Mg2+
E) ligand; ion

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The NMDA receptor is voltage-dependent, meaning that it requires a change in membrane potential to become activated, and it is also ligand-dependent, meaning that it requires binding of a specific neurotransmitter (glutamate) to become fully activated. Option A, Ca2+ and Cl- are ions that can flow through the NMDA receptor once it is activated, but they do not influence its activation directly. Option B, while hormones can act on many different types of receptors, they do not affect the NMDA receptor. Option D, Na+ and Mg2+ are ions that can bind to the receptor, but they do not affect its activation directly. Option E describes the general categories of ligand-gated and ion-gated channels, but does not provide specific information about the NMDA receptor.

The NMDA Receptor Is Unusual in That It Is ________-Dependent