Abstract
This chapter reviews the gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) receptor mechanisms of the visual cortex and describes the cellular mechanisms of GABAergic inhibition. Modern neuroscience has shown that each neurotransmitter may interact with many different types of membrane receptors, each of which may in turn operate a separate effector system. There appear to be two basic types of GABA receptors: “GABAA” and “GABAB.” Both are present in high quantities in the visual cortex. The majority of endogenous inhibitory processes in the cortex can be ascribed to the actions of GABA on either GABAA or GABAB receptors. GABAA receptors belong to the family of ligand-gated ion channels, which include the nicotinic acetylcholine and glycine receptors. GABAB receptors are not directly coupled to ion channels, but instead act via G protein–coupled signal systems. These two basic receptor subtypes are themselves subdivided.
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