Roleplay Neurobiology Synapse Infosheet

Issue 63 – June 2023
www.scienceinschool.org
Hold your nerve: acting out chemical synaptic transmission
Synapse infosheet
Neurons are connected via synapses, where signals in the form of
neurotransmitters are released. But how does this work?
Our nervous system consists of approximately 100 billion neurons and has an extremely high
processing power based on the connection of neurons between each other. These neuronal
connections are responsible for your ability to perceive your surroundings: with their help, you
can feel, hear, see, and smell what’s around you and send commands to your muscles. They are
also in charge of your ability to recognize where you are and remember if you’ve been there
before. Neuronal interactions define who we are as people.
The cell body of a neuron contains the nucleus and cytoplasm. The axon extends from the cell
body and often gives rise to many smaller branches before ending at nerve terminals. Dendrites
extend from the neuron cell body and receive messages from other neurons. Synapses are the
contact points where one neuron communicates with another (figure 1).
Figure 1: Parts of a neuron

Image: Dana Scarinci Zabaleta/Wikimedia, CC0 1.0
One cell talks, the other one listens

The incoming signals to a neuron (via the dendrites) are integrated, and the electrical impulse is
transmitted along the axon. At the end of the axon, the structure splits and forms numerous
synapses, where the information is conveyed to the next neuron (figure 1). At the synapse, the
electrical impulse of the action potential is converted into a chemical signal. The number of
formed synapses between neurons can vary from 1 to over 100 000 per neuron. The signal is
transported in one direction only. One cell talks, while the other one listens.
1
Synapses – elemental units of neuronal communication
The basic elements of one synapse are as follows (figure 2A):
• the nerve end of the sender neuron (presynaptic membrane)

• the synaptic cleft, which divides the sender and the receiver cells
• the membrane of the receiver neuron (postsynaptic membrane)
The presynaptic nerve terminals contain signal molecules called neurotransmitters stored in
synaptic membrane vesicles. Each presynaptic nerve terminal contains, on average, more than
100 synaptic vesicles. This number can increase up to 100 000 vesicles in presynaptic synapses
that control our muscles.
Neurotransmitters play a fundamental role in neural communication, influencing everything from
involuntary movements to learning and mood.
If an electrical signal in the form of an action potential reaches the presynaptic membrane of the
synapse (figure 2B, step 1), Ca2+ channels open and Ca2+ enters the presynaptic synapse (figure
2B, step 2). This triggers fusion machinery that induces the movement of synaptic membrane
vesicles to the presynaptic membrane. At the presynaptic membrane, the vesicles merge with the
membrane and the neurotransmitter is released into the synaptic cleft (figure 2C, step 3). The
molecules diffuse into the extracellular fluid of the synaptic cleft and some of them bind to
receptors. This binding leads to an opening of the receptor and to an influx of ions into the
postsynaptic site of the synapse (figure 2C, step 4). Neurotransmitters are specific for receptors.
They fit together like a lock and key.
The regulation of the neurotransmitter concentration in the synaptic cleft is crucial. A disturbance
of this key mechanism can cause serious mental illnesses, such as depression. In the synaptic cleft,
neurotransmitters are destroyed by enzymes. The other process to reduce the concentration of
neurotransmitters in the synaptic cleft is called neurotransmitter reuptake (figure 2C, step 5). The
reuptake transporter in the presynaptic membrane removes the neurotransmitter from the
synaptic cleft and stores it in a new membrane vesicle to be reused again.
2
Figure 2: Mechanisms of synaptic transmission. A) Important structures and protagonists. B) An action potential triggers
neurotransmitter release from the presynaptic site into the synaptic cleft. C) Neurotransmitter binds to receptors on the
postsynaptic site and induces a change in concentration of ions in the postsynaptic neuron.
Image courtesy of the authors
Synapses can be excitatory or inhibitory, as a function of their effect on the postsynaptic neuron.
In an excitatory synapse, an increase in the concentration of neurotransmitter makes it more likely
that the postsynaptic neurone will produce an action potential. In an inhibitory synapse, an
increase in the concentration of neurotransmitter makes it less likely that an action potential will
occur.

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Issue 63 – June 2023

Hold your nerve: acting out chemical synaptic transmission

Figure 1: Parts of a neuron

One cell talks, the other one listens

• the nerve end of the sender neuron (presynaptic membrane)

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