Chapter 12.8, Problem 30LO

Summary Introduction

To define: Summation and their types that can occur in the initial segment.

Concept introduction: Neurotransmitters are endogenous chemicals released by neurons. They are localized in the presynaptic terminal (terminal end of the axon). These chemical signals are released into the synaptic cleft. They bind to specific receptors on postsynaptic membrane of another neuron. Neurons in a specific portion of the brain can be directly or indirectly influenced by each neurotransmitter, thereby affecting behavior. The transfer of the impulses across the synapse depends on these neurotransmitters. In the synaptic cleft, these neurotransmitters bind to specific receptors in the membrane, on the post-synaptic side of the synapse.