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March 30, 2024, 02:58:18 am

Author Topic: How does a synapse work?  (Read 1169 times)  Share 

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VVVCCCEEE

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How does a synapse work?
« on: March 14, 2018, 07:14:53 pm »
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Could anyone answer that question in simple English thank you

Potatohater

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Re: How does a synapse work?
« Reply #1 on: March 14, 2018, 08:54:08 pm »
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In simplest English I can manage: an electrochemical signal is passed along the axon, which is the main rod of the neuron, and across the synaptic gap, which is the gap between the axon of one neurone to the dendrites of another. So the synapses work by allowing for this signal transfer between neurones
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VVVCCCEEE

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Re: How does a synapse work?
« Reply #2 on: March 14, 2018, 09:11:39 pm »
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 Cheers thanks guys

Bri MT

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Re: How does a synapse work?
« Reply #3 on: March 15, 2018, 04:49:10 pm »
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- one neuron has an electrical signal which tells it to release chemicals (neurotransmitters)
- the chemicals drift across to another neuron
- this starts an electrical signal in the reached neuron

Now more technical version
- the presynaptic neuron has an electrical signal travel down its axon to the axon terminal which instigates the release of neurotransmitters
- the neurotransmitters diffuse to the dendrites of the postsynaptic neuron and are accepted by receptors on the postsynaptic membrane
- if the neurotransmitters have an excitatory effect, an electric signal will be induced and travel down the dendrites of the postsynaptic neuron to its soma

dashnog

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Re: How does a synapse work?
« Reply #4 on: March 31, 2018, 07:37:55 pm »
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The post office receives its mail from a previous delivery truck and is sent to its employees for processing. The employees then carry the letters and packages through to its warehouses where everything is packaged and is ready to be sent off to the recipients. Deliverymen pass the package on to another post office and the cycle continues.

(The neuron receives neurochemicals from its previous neighbouring neuron and is processed in the soma. The information is then sent down to the axon and transported and accelerated by electric current and gets to the terminal. The tips of the terminal, otherwise known as the 'terminal buttons' secrete the neurochemicals into the microscopic synaptic cleft and the next neuron continues the cycle)

Hopefully that analogy helps?
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thegirlwithenameleyes

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Re: How does a synapse work?
« Reply #5 on: April 06, 2018, 11:25:55 am »
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My teacher actually explained synapses in a really simple way that helped us all remember, so I'll try explaining it like that.
She basically said that a synapse is like a railway junction. It's the place where a bunch of neurons connect to each other to share information. Then she drew a diagram of a railway junction and added in neurons.
Does that make sense at all? It doesn't really explain HOW a synapse works, but I know it really helped me get the basic idea of it because it gave me something to connect the information to.