synaptic transmission

• what are the stages of synaptic transmission

  1. Vesicles
  2. release
  3. Receptors
  4. enzymes
  5. Reuptake
  6. Replenished
• what happens at the vesicle stage

  when the electrical impulse (action potential) reaches the end o the axon it arrives at the presynaptic terminal. terminal buttons are made up of small structures called vesicles that contain neurotransmitters.
• what happens at the release stage

  the electrical impulse triggers the release of the neurotransmitter which diffuses across the synapse.
• what happens at the receptors stage

  neurotransmitters go to the receptors on the dendrites of the post synaptic terminal. the chemical is converted back to an electrical impulse and carries on down the axon.
• what happens at the enzymes stage

  enzymes are released to break down any neurotransmitters still in the synapse
• what happens at the reuptake stage

  some neurotransmitters go through this process. where any in excess are reabsorbed back to the pre-synaptic terminal
• what happens at the replenished stage

  vesicles are replenished with new and reused neurotransmitters ready for the next impulse