BRAINCAKEThe Role of Synapses
Synapses ensure impulses can travel in only one direction.
They allow a single impulse from a single neurone to be transmitted to multiple neurones via multiple synapses.
In addition, multiple neurones can connect to the same neurone so many neurones can interact to produce a single result.
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Key terms in this lesson
- neurotransmitter
- A chemical released by a presynaptic neurone that diffuses across a synapse and binds to receptors on the postsynaptic cell, altering its membrane potential.
- synapse
- The junction between two neurones, or between a neurone and a muscle or gland cell, where information is transmitted chemically.
- action potential
- A rapid, temporary reversal of the electrical charge across an axon membrane (depolarisation followed by repolarisation) that occurs when a stimulus exceeds the threshold value.
More in Neuronal Communication
- Saltatory Conduction
- Synapses
- Neurotransmitters
- Transmission of Impulse across Synapse
- Summation
- Structural Organisation of the Nervous System
- Functional Organisation of the Nervous System
- The Autonomic Nervous System
All 38 lessons in Neuronal Communication · All AQA A-level Biology topics