PSYC 100 Lecture Notes - Lecture 16: Acetylcholine, Multiple Sclerosis, Impulsivity

• School: University of Maryland
• Department: Psychology
• Course: PSYC 100
• Professor: Curtis

Document Summary

The gap between two cells at a synapse is called the synaptic cleft . The signal-sending cell is called the presynaptic neuron , and the signal-receiving cell is called the postsynaptic neuron . Neurotransmitters are the chemicals that allow neurons to communicate with each other. These chemicals are kept in synaptic vesicles , which are small sacs inside the terminal buttons. When an action potential reaches the terminal buttons, which are at the ends of axons, neurotransmitter-filled synaptic vesicles fuse with the presynaptic cell membrane. As a result, neurotransmitter molecules pour into the synaptic cleft. When they reach the postsynaptic cell, neurotransmitter molecules attach to matching receptor sites. Neurotransmitters work in much the same way as keys. They attach only to specific receptors, just as certain keys fit only certain locks. When a neurotransmitter molecule links up with a receptor molecule, there"s a voltage change, called a postsynaptic potential (psp) , at the receptor site.