Explain the process Transmission of a nerve impulse across a chemical synapse
At a chemical synapse, the membranes of the pre-and post-synaptic neurons are separated by a fluid-filled space called synaptic cleft. When an impulse arrives at the axon terminal, it stimulates the movement of the synaptic vesicles towards the membrane where they fuse with the plasma membrane and release their neurotransmitters in the synaptic cleft. The released neurotransmitters bind to their specific receptors, present on the post-synaptic membrane. This binding opens ion channels allowing the entry of ions which can generate a new potential in the post-synaptic neuron. The new potential developed may be either excitatory or inhibitory.
