PS263 Chapter Notes - Chapter 2: Axon Terminal, Neurotransmitter Receptor, Dendritic Spine
Document Summary
Before i can talk about these steps in de- tail i will need to describe the structure of the synapse. Figure 2. 8 on page 45 highlights the classic arrangement of the dendrites of one neuron in relation to the axon terminals of other neurons. This arrangement is called axodendritic in that the axon button of a given neuron forms a synapse with the den- dritic spine of another neuron. There are other arrangements possible but i will not dis- cuss them here. Read the section on structure of synapses to find out about other synaptic arrangements. Voltage-activated calcium channels (ca++) are opened in response to the change in membrane potential caused by the action potential. By communication i mean that the pre-synaptic neuron can ultimately influence the membrane potential of the post-synaptic neuron. ] Once released the neurotransmitter molecules migrate towards the post-synaptic mem- brane and bind with receptors there.
