9/12/2014

What is a synapse and why are they needed by the nervous system?

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What is a synapse and why are they

needed by the nervous system?
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LiiL_MiiS_SMiiLES answered 6 years ago
Information from one neuron flows to another neuron across a synapse.
The synapse is a small gap separating neurons.
Why they are needed:
They make sure that the flow of impulses is in one direction only. This
is because the vesicles containing the transmitter are only in the
presynaptic membrane and the receptor molecules are only on the
postsynaptic membrane.
They allow integration, e.g. an impulse travelling down a neurone may
reach a synapse which has several post synaptic neurones, all going to
different locations. The impulse can thus be dispersed. This can also
work in reverse, where several impulses can converge at a synapse.

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They allow summation to occur. Synapses require the release of

sufficient transmitter into the cleft in order for enough of the transmitter
to bind to the postsynaptic receptors and the impulse to be generated in
the postsynaptic neurone. In spatial summation, several presynaptic
neurones converge at a synapse with a single post synaptic neurone. In
temporal summation there is only one presynaptic and one
postsynaptic neurone but the frequency of impulses reaching the
synapse is important. Both types of summation allow for grading of
nervous response if the stimulation affects too few presynaptic
neurones or the frequency of stimulation is too low, the impulse is not
transmitted across the cleft.
They allow the filtering out of continual unnecessary or unimportant
background stimuli. If a neurone is constantly stimulated (e.g. clothes
touching the skin) the synapse will not be able to renew its supply of
transmitter fast enough to continue passing the impulse across the

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What is a synapse and why are they needed by the nervous system?

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cleft. This fatigue places un upper limit on the frequency of

depolarisation.

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What is a synapse? W
nervous system?

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Dan W answered 6 years ago

Synapses are a means of signals (action potentials) to communicate to
other synapses and therefore carry on the signal to reach a destination.
The synapse consists of a presynaptic knob/ node which has a lot of
mitochondria and vesicles containg a neurotransmitter. A synaptic cleft
of which the neurotransmitter diffuses across and a post synaptic knob/
node which has receptors in its cell surface membrane complementary
to the neurotransmitter.

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A typical example of a synapse of which I will use is a cholinergic

synapse which uses Acetylcholine (ACh) as a neurotransmitter.
The arrival of an action potential (nerve impulse) at a synapse causes
calcium channels to open at the presynaptic node, allowing Ca+ to flood
into the membrane. The influx of calcium ions causes vesicles
containing neurotransmitters to move towards the membrane of the
presynaptic node and fuse with it emptying its contents into the cleft.
The transmitter fluid diffuses across the cleft and binds to the receptors
on the post synaptic node. (This allows and ensure one way
transmission as one node contains the neurotransmitter and releases it
while the other recognises it due to the receptors).
Upon binding onto the receptors it causes proteins to change shape.
(Allosteric effect) that allows Na+ to rush into the membrane of the post
synaptic node depolarising the membrane and thus generating an action
potential so that the signal can carry on.
Synapses can have an inhibitatory effect or an excitatory one on the
nervous system depending on the neurotransmitter and synapses
involved.
In synapses the signal is not always generated unless there is enough
neurotransmitter to cause the nerve cell to fire an action potential, this is
known as the all or nothing law. The accumulation of the
neurotransmitter causes summation.

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What is a synapse and why are they needed by the nervous system?

Spatial summation: several presynaptic neurones provide enough

neurotransmitters to overcome the postsynaptic potential in order to
generate an action potential. I
Temporal summation: 1:1 ratio, 1 presynaptic and 1 postsynaptic
neurone, so only one presynaptic node to overcome the post action
potential.
The post synaptic potential (PSP) is the threshold level of which enough
neurotransmitter is needed to fire an action potential. Once this has
been met, an action potential will fire. (All or nothing law).

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An example of temporal summation would be cone cells in the eye. One

cell will add its neurotransmitter and overtime will overcome the threshold
at the neurone.
An example of spacial summation can be shown by rod cells also in the
eye, several cells add together their neurotransmitter to overcome the
PSP.
All the action potentials are of the same size, the body distinguishes
from a light or heavy touch due to the frequency of impulses.
Hope this helped
Source(s):
A level human biology
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andrewsmom526 answered 6 years ago

Synapses are the junctions between neurons in the nervous system. A
neurotransmitter is released there - a chemical that allows one neuron to
talk to the next neuron and continue sending the impulse.
Source(s):
I teach Honors Anatomy in high school.
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