Biology (11th Edition)

Published by McGraw-Hill Education
ISBN 10: 1259188132
ISBN 13: 978-1-25918-813-8

Chapter 43 - The Nervous System - Review Questions - Synthesize - Page 915: 3

Answer

When the action potential reaches the end of the presynaptic cell, calcium channels release calcium, causing vesicles to fuse with the plasma membrane and release neurotransmitter. These diffuse to the postsynaptic cell, bind to receptors, and cause depolarization. In an inhibitory synapse, the binding would lead to hyperpolarization.

Work Step by Step

Check the chapter for the two kinds of synapse and how polarity changes in each; the chapter also gives the steps in transmission of a signal across a synapse.
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