Synaptic Transmission

Vocabulary flashcards covering the key structures and processes of synaptic transmission based on the 2 Minute Neuroscience lecture.

Synapse

A specialized structure where two neurons come close enough to one another that they are able to pass chemical signals from one cell to another.

Synaptic cleft

A microscopically small space, less than $40\,nm$ wide, that separates the presynaptic and postsynaptic neurons.

Presynaptic neuron

The neuron where the signal is initiated.

Postsynaptic neuron

The neuron that receives the signal from the presynaptic neuron.

Neurotransmitters

Chemical signals packaged into small sacs called vesicles within the presynaptic neuron.

Vesicles

Small sacs in the presynaptic neuron that can contain thousands of neurotransmitter molecules.

Action potential

An electrical signal that excites the presynaptic neuron, causing vesicles to fuse with the presynaptic membrane and release neurotransmitters.

Receptors

Structures on the postsynaptic membrane that neurotransmitters bind to, which can increase or decrease the likelihood of the postsynaptic cell firing an action potential.

Diffusion

The process by which neurotransmitter molecules eventually clear the synaptic cleft by simply drifting away.

Reuptake

A process where the neurotransmitter is taken back up into the presynaptic neuron to be recycled and reused.

Enzymes

Molecules that break down neurotransmitters within the synaptic cleft so their component parts can be sent back into the presynaptic neuron.