A Synapse Happens When Psychology Essay

A Synapse Happens When Psychology Essay A synapse happens when the electrical activity in the pre-synaptic neuron influences the post-synaptic neuron. There are two types of synapses in the body, the electrical (gap junctions) and chemical. Electrical synapses occur in pre and post synaptic neurons that are joined via gap junctions. A chemical synapse releases a neurotransmitter molecule that is triggered by an action potential. The neurotransmitter is then released into the synaptic cleft. The neurotransmitter is diffused across the cleft and binds to receptors on the post-synaptic neuron and can trigger a new action potential. In further detail, when an action potential begins in a neuron, it travels down the axon, when the action potential reaches the axon terminal, calcium channels open, and calcium ions rush into the neuron. The neuron then makes and stores neurotransmitter in vesicles. When calcium binds to the vesicles, the vesicles carry neurotransmitter toward the presynaptic membrane. When the vesicles contact t he axon terminal membrane, the neurotransmitter is released into the synaptic cleft. The action potentials arriving at the presynaptic terminal cause voltage-gated calcium ion channels to open. Calcium ions (Ca2+) diffuse into the cell and cause synaptic vesicles to release acetylcholine, a neurotransmitter molecule. After the release, the neurotransmitter is still in the cleft, which then can be removed by diffusion, re-uptake, and deactivation. A reuptake is when a transporter moves the neurotransmitter back into presynaptic neuron which uses energy. Deactivation is when the enzyme breaks neurotransmitter down into parts. The acetylcholine is broken with the acetyl cholinesterase. This happens in the synaptic cleft. Neurotransmitter diffuses across the synaptic cleft and binds to receptors on the postsynaptic neuron. The postsynaptic neuron receptors are activated. In this case, these receptors allow Sodium in the neuron by facilitated diffusion, causing an action potential to sta rt in the postsynaptic membrane. Neurotransmitters are released from receptors and diffuse back to the synaptic cleft. Vesicles recycle some neurotransmitter to prepare the neuron for its next action potential. Acetylcholine molecules diffuse from the presynaptic terminal across the synaptic cleft and bind to their receptor sites on the ligand-gated sodium ion (Na+) channels. This causes the ligand-gated sodium ion channels to open and sodium ions diffuse into the cell, making the membrane potential more positive. If the membrane potential reaches threshold level, an action potential will be produced. There is a specific neuron for each colour, shape, when we think of two different things; two neurons make a connection, these results in thinking, learning and our behaviours. Learning involves neurons in the brain and the synapses between them. Neurons ad synapses make connections in order for us to think and learn new things. Signals are sent from one neuron to another by jumping ac ross the synapse. In the process of sending signals, it involves the presynaptic neuron, the neuron sending the signal, the neurotransmitter which is a chemical released by neurons at the synapse for the purpose of relaying information to other neurons via receptors. The synaptic cleft is the space across which a nerve impulse passes from an axon terminal to a neuron or effector cell. The receptor molecule is a protein that recognizes a specific 3-dimensional shape which then goes into the postsynaptic neuron, the neuron which receives the signal.