Synapses Flashcards
What is the purpose of a synapse?
To transmit the impulse from one neurone to another neurone.
What is contained in vesicles?
Neurotransmitters.
What is the gap between the two neurones?
Synaptic cleft.
What is found within the presynaptic neurone?
Vesicles.
What is the end of the postsynaptic membrane covered in?
Neurotransmitter receptor molecules.
How do neurotransmitters bind with the receptor proteins?
They bind similar to the enzyme substrate complex, meaning that the synapse is uni-directional and cannot go the opposite way.
What does the electrical impulse trigger in the presynaptic neurone?
It triggers the vesicles to fuse with the presynaptic membrane and release the neurotransmitters into the synaptic cleft.
How is an impulse triggered on the postsynaptic neurone?
The neurotransmitters diffuse across the synapse and bind to the receptors on the postsynaptic membrane, triggering an impulse in the second neurone.
What happens to the neurotransmitters after they have been used?
They break away from the receptors, either breaking down, or recycled to be used again.
