Discuss the structure and Function of Synapses.

Discuss the structure and Function of Synapses.

Answers

Neurons communicate with each other and with other cells of the body, such as muscles and secretory cells. Through the generation of action potential and its rapid conduction down the axon to the pre-synaptic terminal, the pre-synaptic terminal can be notified to initiate the transfer of information to other cells.

Such communication occurs between cells rapidly at specialized junctions called synapses. Synaptic transmission between cells can either be electrical or chemical. Electrical transmission involves ionic current flows directly between pre-synaptic cells and post-synaptic cells. But synaptic transmission in mammals is more frequently mediated by a chemical messenger released from pre-synaptic terminals on arrival of the action potential.

This chemical messenger diffuses rapidly to the post synaptic cell membrane where it binds with receptors. This leads to the genesis of an action potential across the adjacent cell.



At the nerve muscle junction this neurotransmitter is most often acetylcholine. Acetylcholine binds with its receptor only briefly, and when free, it is destroyed by the enzyme acetycholinesterase. This enzyme, found in the basal lamina of synaptic cleft, inactivates acetylcholine by breaking it down to acetic acid and choline molecules.

The choline can then be transported back into pre-synaptic terminal by a transporter protein in the terminal membrane and recycled in acetycholine synthesis. The whole process repeats itself when another action potential arrives

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marto answered the question on April 16, 2019 at 07:30

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