Animal Structure and Function

YOU ARE LEARNING:

Synapses

Let's look at closely what synapses are, and how neurotransmitters fit into the picture.

Here we have zoomed in on the place where two neurones meet.

They are very close to each other, but they don't actually physically touch. There is a tiny gap between the neurone ends which we call a synapse.

This is a synapse in action. What do you think is happening between the two neurones?

The electrical impulses turn into chemicals to be able to cross the synapse

These chemicals get produced at the end of one neurone which travel to the receptor molecules located at the beginning of the other neurone. The chemicals are then translated back into an electrical impulse.

What do you think these chemicals are called?

By which method do you think neurotransmitters move across the synapse?

To stop neurones getting confused with all the chemicals flying around our system, receptor molecules on the receiving neurone...

Neurotransmitters are released by a neurone, diffuse across the synapse, and bind to specific receptors on the next neurone, which triggers the neurone to create a new electrical impulse, which carries the information down the axon.

Which of these is the correct order for a signal type travelling between two neurones?

Here we are zooming in on the spot where two neurones meet.

They are very close to each other, but there is a tiny gap in between them - the synapse. The neurone needs to pass a message on to the other neurone, so it uses neurotransmitters to send the message across the synapse.