Synaptic Transmission Flashcards
How long does the process of synaptic transmission take?
A fraction of a second.
Once an action potential has arrived at the terminal button at the end of an axon, what needs to happen?
The action potential needs to be transferred to another neurone or to tissue.
How is an action potential transferred from the end of an axon to another neuron or tissue?
The cation potential must cross the gap between the presynaptic neuron and the postsynaptic neuron.
What is the area called where the action potential crosses the gap between the presynaptic neuron and postsynaptic neuron?
The synapsic gap.
What is included in the area called the synapse?
The end of the presynaptic neuron, the membrane of the postsynaptic neuron and the gap in-between.
What are the sacs called at the end of the axon of a nerve ending?
What do they look like in the diagram?
Synaptic vesicles.
Circles with dots in them.
What do the synaptic vesicles contain?
What do they look like in the diagram and where are they found within the diagram?
The chemical messengers that assist in the transfer of the impulse.
Neurotransmitters.
They are the dots in the middle of the circles of the synaptic vesicles.
They are found in the synaptic gap.
What happens as the action potential reaches the synaptic vesicles?
Causes the synaptic vesicles (circles with dots in) to release the neurotransmitters (the dots).
This is called exocytosis.
What does the neurotransmitters (dots) do when its released from the synaptic vesicles (circles with dots in)?
Diffuses across the synaptic gap. It binds to specialised receptors on the surface of the cell that recognise it and are then activated.
What happens when the receptor of the cell has been activated by a neurotransmitter?
They produce wither excitatory or inhibitory effects on the postsynaptic neuron.
