Summary notes Transmission across a (cholinergic) synapse

1. An action potential arrives at the presynaptic knob. 2. This causes depolarisation of the membrane which in turn stimulates voltage gated calcium ion channels to open causing calcium ions to rush into the synaptic knob by diffusion 3. Calcium ions cause the synaptic vesicles containing the neurotransmitter acetylcholine to fuse with the presynaptic membrane, releasing acetylcholine into the synaptic cleft/gap 4. Acetyl choline diffuses across the synaptic gap and attaches to complimentary receptors on the ligand gated sodium ion channels located on the post synaptic membrane. 5. The sodium ion channels open and sodium ions diffuse into the post synaptic neurone 6. The influx of sodium ions depolarises the post synaptic membrane and 7. A new action potential is generated in the post synaptic neurone 8. Acetylcholine esterase breaks down the acetylholine on the receptors into 2 components: ethanoic acid (acetyl)and choline. These products diffuse back across the synaptic gap and are reabsorbed into the presynaptic neurone 9. ATP is needed to combine the products back into acetylcholine which is then stored in vesicles ready for the arrival of further action potentials. This recycling of acetylcholine is necessary to remove it from the receptors and prevent it from continuing to generate further action potentials in the post synaptic neurone. 10. Calcium ions are pumped out of the presynaptic membrane using active transport.

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