Neurotransmission - Stages in Neurotransmission at The Synapse

Stages in Neurotransmission At The Synapse

1. Synthesis of the neurotransmitter. This can take place in the cell body, in the axon, or in the axon terminal.
2. Storage of the neurotransmitter in storage granules or vesicles in the axon terminal.
3. Calcium enters the axon terminal during an action potential, causing release of the neurotransmitter into the synaptic cleft.
4. After its release, the transmitter binds to and activates a receptor in the postsynaptic membrane.
5. Deactivation of the neurotransmitter. The neurotransmitter is either destroyed enzymatically, or taken back into the terminal from which it came, where it can be reused, or degraded and removed.