The Synapse

Dr Yamna
Content
• 1. Definition
• 2. Structure
• 3. Function
• 4. Types
• 5. Synaptic Transmission
• A. Electrical
• B. Chemical
• 6. Transmission of Neurotransmitters
• 7. Excitatory & Inhibitory Neurotransmitters
• 9. Properties
• A. One-way Conduction
• B. Synaptic Delay
• C. Fatigue
• D. Summation
• E. Facilitation
• F. Excitatory & Inhibitory
• G. Occlusion Phenomenon
• H. Convergence & Divergence
• 10. Clinical
Definition

The junction between two neurons is called a synapse.

• It is a specialized junction where transmission of information

takes place between a nerve fiber and another nerve, muscle or
gland cell.

• It is not the anatomical continuation. But, it is only a

physiological continuity between two nerve cells.
synapse
Structure
• The synapse consists of:

• 1. A presynaptic ending that contains neurotransmitters,

mitochondria and other cell organelles.

• 2. A postsynaptic ending that contains receptor sites for

neurotransmitters.

• 3. A synaptic cleft or space between the presynaptic and

postsynaptic endings. It is about 20nm wide.
Function
• The main function of the synapse is to transmit the impulses,
i.e. action potential from one neuron to another.

• They allow integration, e.g. an impulse travelling down a

neuron may reach a synapse which has several post synaptic
neurons, 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
Types
• 1. Synapse with another neuron
It is the junction between two nerve cells. They are of 3
types; axodendritic, axosomatic & axoaxonic

• 2. Neuromuscular
It is the synapse of a motor neuron and a muscle

• 3. Neuroglandular
It is the synapse of a neuron and a endo/exocrine gland
Synaptic Transmission
• It is the process which nerve cells communicate among
themselves or with muscles and glands.

• The synapse is the anatomic site where this

communication occurs.

• It can be of 2 types:
A. Electrical transmission
B. Chemical transmission
A. Electrical Transmission
• In these synapses the membranes of the two cells
actually touch, and they share proteins. This allows the
action potential to pass directly from one membrane to
the next.They are very fast, but are quite rare, found only
in the heart and the eye.
B. Chemical Transmission
• In a chemical synapse, electrical activity in the
presynaptic neuron is converted into the release of a
chemical called a neurotransmitter that binds to
receptors located in the plasma membrane of the
postsynaptic cell.
Transmission of
Neurotransmitter
• I. At the end of the pre-synaptic neuron there are voltage
gated calcium channels. When an action potential reaches the
synapse these channels open, causing calcium ions to flow
into the cell.
• II. These calcium ions cause the synaptic vesicles to fuse with
the cell membrane, releasing their contents (the
neurotransmitter chemicals) by exocytosis.
• III. The neurotransmitters diffuse across the synaptic cleft.
• IV. The neurotransmitter binds to the neuro receptors in the
post-synaptic membrane, causing the channels to open.
Inhibitory and Excitatory
Neurotansmitter
• Inhibitory neurotransmitters produce a depolarization of
the postsynaptic membrane called the inhibitory
postsynaptic potential (IPSP). They reduce chances of a
new impulse.
• I. Serotonin
• II. GABA (γ aminobutyric acid)
• III. Glycine

• Excitatory neurotransmitters can cause the next cell to

initiate a new impulse.
• I. Acetylcholine
• II. Norepinephrine
• III. Dopamine
Properties
• A. One way Conduction:
(Bell-Magendie Law)
• According to Bell-Magendie law, the impulses are
transmitted only in one direction in synapse, i.e. from
presynaptic neuron to postsynaptic neuron.
B. Synaptic Delay
• During the transmission of impulses via the synapse,
there is a short delay in the transmission. It is due to the
time taken for:

• i. Release of neurotransmitter
• ii. Movement of the neurotransmitter from the axon
terminal to the postsynaptic membrane
• iii. Action of the neurotransmitter to open the ionic
channels in the postsynaptic membrane
C. Fatigue
• During continuous muscular activity, the synapse forms
the seat of fatigue along with the Betz cells.

• The fatigue at the synapse is due to the depletion of

neurotransmitter substance, acetylcholine.

• Depletion of acetylcholine occurs by two factors:

• I. Soon after the action, acetylcholine is destroyed by
acetylcholinesterase
• II. Due to continuous action, new acetylcholine is not
synthesized.
D. Summation
• 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 neuron.

• Summation is of 2 types:
• I. Spatial summation occurs when excitatory potentials from
many different presynaptic neurons cause the postsynaptic
neuron to reach its threshold and fire.
• II. Temporal summation occurs when a single presynaptic
neuron fires many times in succession, causing the
postsynaptic neuron to reach its threshold and fire.
E. Facilitation
• When a pre-synaptic axon is stimulated with several
consecutive individual stimuli, each stimulus may evoke
a larger post-synaptic potential than that evoked by the
previous stimulus.

• Consequently, another excitatory signal entering the

neuron from some other source can excite the neuron very
easily
F. Excitatory & Inhibitory
• At an excitatory synapse, ionic currents flowing through
the ion channels cause a net depolarization of the
postsynaptic cell.

• At an inhibitory synapse, ionic currents flowing through the

ion channels cause a net hyperpolarization of the
postsynaptic cell.
G. Convergence & Divergence
• Convergence refers to the phenomenon of termination of
signals from many sources (i.e. many pre-synaptic
neurons on a single post-synaptic neuron).

• Divergence refers to one pre-synaptic neuron terminating

on many post-synaptic neurons. (i.e. single impulse is
converted into a number of impulses going to a number of
post-synaptic
H. Occlusion Phenomenone
• The response to stimulation of 2 pre-synaptic neurons is
more than the sum total of the response obtained when
they are stimulated separately.

• This happens because some post-synaptic neurons are

common to both the pre-synaptic neurons.

• Thus occlusion is due to overlapping of afferent fibres their

central distribution.
Clinical
• A problem with communication between nerves at
synapses is often the basis for disease, like the following:
• Parkinson’s Disease
• Alzheimer's Disease
• Depression
• Anxiety
• Schizophrenia