Synaptic Transmission

Question 1

What is a synapse?

Answer 1

• Area where two neurons come close enough to one another that they are able to pass chemical signals from one cell to another

Question 2

Presynaptic neuron

Answer 2

• Where the signal is initiated
• Chemical signals-> neurotransmitters that packaged into vesicles
• Vesicle -> contains thousands of neurotransmitters
• Neuron is triggered by an electric signal called an action potential

Question 3

Action potential

Answer 3

• Causes vesicles to fuse with presynaptic membrane and release contents into synaptic cleft
• Once in the synaptic cleft -> neurotransmitters interact with receptors on the postsynaptic membrane

Question 4

Postsynaptic neuron

Answer 4

• Receives signals
• Membrane- binds to receptors causing an action to occur in postsynaptic cell
• Action may cause an increasing in the likelihood of activation of the postsynaptic cell and fire an action potential or decreasing it

Question 5

Neurotransmitter molecules

Answer 5

• Cleared from synaptic cleft
• Some drift away through diffusion
• Sometimes neurotransmitters are taken back up into the presynaptic neuron through reputake

Question 6

Uptake

Answer 6

• Inside the presynaptic neuron the neurotransmitters can be recycled and reused
• Enzymes can break down neurotransmitters within the synaptic cleft
• Component parts of neurotransmitter sent back into presynaptic neuron to make more neurotransmitters