Synapses

Shimron Fernando
 What is a S
ynapse?

• A synapse is a structure, rather, a small pocket of space

between two cells that permits a neuron (or nerve cell) to
pass an electrical or chemical signal where they can pass
messages to communicate to another neuron or to the
target effector cell
• Synapses are essential to the transmission of nervous
impulses from one neuron to another
• There are 2 types of synapses found in the body
Shimron Fernando
 Electrical Synapses
• An electrical synapse is a mechanical and electrically conductive link
between two neighboring neurons that is formed at a narrow gap
between the pre- and postsynaptic neurons known as a gap junction
• During electrical synaptic transmission, synapses allow current to flow
from one cell to another by means of ions in low resistance pathways
between gap junctions
• Gap junctions are usually found in cardiac muscle and in some types of
smooth muscle – for rapid conduction in these tissues which allows
coordinated, simultaneous contractions
• Electrical transmission can be bidirectional; that is, current can flow
in either direction across the gap junction, depending on which
member of the coupled pair is invaded by an action potential 

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 Chemical Synapses
Chemical Synapses
• Chemical synapses are connections between two
neurons or between a neuron and a non-neuronal cell
(muscle cell, glandular cell, sensory cell)
• It includes three elements: the presynaptic element, a
synaptic cleft, and a postsynaptic element
• Chemical synaptic transmission occurs when
information is transmitted across the synaptic cleft
involving the release of chemical messengers known
as neurotransmitters, from the pre-synaptic/sending
neuron to the post-synaptic/receiving cell
• In order to reach its target cell, information can only
flow in one direction (unidirectional) - away from the
brain and towards its destination in the body to carry
out the instructions

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 Mechanism of Chemical Synaptic
Transmission at the Neuro-muscular Junction
• An Action Potential (AP) reaching the presynaptic cell causes Calcium ion channels to open
• The influx of calcium ions into the pre-synaptic terminal causes the release of
neurotransmitter, acetylcholine as synaptic vesicles
• These chemical messengers then diffuse across the synaptic cleft and bind to the receptors
on the post-synaptic membrane causing a conformational change
• The ligand-gated Sodium & Potassium channels are opened on the motor-end plate
• This causes the depolarization at the motor-end plate (EPP) to travel along the adjacent
muscle tissue, generating an action potential
• ACh is degraded to choline and acetate by on the motor-end plate and about 50% of the
choline is taken back into the presynaptic terminal by a Sodium - Choline co-transporter

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 Conditions Required to Fire an AP

I. Nature of the neurotransmitter

II. Summation
III. A minimum of 2 ACh molecules
which opens Na ion channels

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 The End
Thank you for your Attention!
Thank you for your Attention!
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Shimron Fernando