Neurotransmission – Communication between Neurons

 

Information always travels in one direction in the neuron – from the dendrites to the soma to the axon to the synapses. When the action potential arrives at the terminal buttons of a neuron, it triggers the second phase in neural transmission – the release of neurotransmitters into the synaptic cleft to pass on the impulse to other neurons. Synaptic vesicles are sacs in the terminal button which contain neurotransmitters. Not all neurotransmitter molecules that are released bind with receptors. Excess neurotransmitters need to be removed either through enzymatic degradation or reuptake. In the process of enzymatic degradation, enzymes bind to a specific neurotransmitter to destroy excess. During the process of reuptake, excess neurotransmitters are returned to the presynaptic neuron.

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