synaptic transmission

• what is action potential?


  electrical signal in neurons that allows for communication between cells
• what is the synaptic gap?

  a microscopic gap between neurons that impulses cross
• what are synaptic vessels and where are they located?

  located in the axon terminals; contain neurotransmitters
• what is the role of a neurotransmitter?

  carries electrical signals across the synaptic gap
• what does action potential stimulate?

  the release of neurotransmitters across the synaptic gap
• what effects are produced when post - synaptic cells are activated?


  excitatory or inhibitory
• what does excitatory mean?

  makes the cell more likely to fire and pass on the eletrical impulse (e.g. noradrenaline)
• what does inhibitory mean?

  makes the post-synaptic cell less likely to fire
• what is summation?


  the effect of excitatory post-synaptic potential and inhibitory post-synaptic potential added together (net effect)