(a) Fig. 10.1 shows chemoreceptor cells in a taste bud. Two of the chemoreceptor cells have formed synapses with sensory neurone dendrites. [Figure 10.1] Describe how the contact of sodium ions with the microvilli of the chemoreceptor cell can lead to the release of a neurotransmitter by the cell. (b) Some of the neurotransmitters in the brain are produced through a series of reactions (reaction pathway) from a chemical called DOPA. DOPA is also involved in other reaction pathways. For example, in the skin and eyes, DOPA is part of a different reaction pathway that depends on the TYR gene. Describe and explain the phenotypic consequences for the skin and eyes of a person who is homozygous for a mutated, non-functional allele of the TYR gene.

1. (a)Describe how the contact of sodium ions with the microvilli of the chemoreceptor cell can lead to the release of a neurotransmitter by the cell.[4]
2. (b)Describe and explain the phenotypic consequences for the skin and eyes of a person who is homozygous for a mutated, non-functional allele of the TYR gene.[3]

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