AQA A-LEVEL: Biopsychology - Function of Neurons
FUNCTION OF NEURONS PROCESS OF SYNAPTIC TRANSMISSION DENDRITES pick up message (NT) and send an impulse (AP action potential) through the cell body, along axon to terminal buttons (TB) At the end of TB there are synaptic vesicles which contain and store the NT, NT converts impulse into a message which is transferred to the next neurone As the impulse (AP) travels to the end of the neurone at the TB it reaches the synaptic vesicle which releases the NT and crosses the synaptic gap between the pre and postsynaptic neurone NT diffuses across synaptic gap, binds to specialised receptors on the surface of next cell dendrites which recognise it and match that cell Once the next cell is activated the receptor molecules either have an inhibitory effect (weakens impulses by decreasing AP) or an excitation effect (strengthens impulses by increasing AP) Synaptic Transmission is completed (done in a fraction of a second) by the process of reuptake, where leftover NTs are taken bac...