Lesson: Synapses Biology • Second Year of Secondary School

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In this lesson, we will learn how to describe the structure of a synapse and explain how information is transmitted across synapses.

Students will be able to

recall that neurons can form synapses with other neurons, muscle fibers, or gland cells,
describe the structure of a cholinergic synapse, including the vesicles and the calcium ion channels of the presynaptic neuron and the acetylcholine receptors and sodium ion channels of the postsynaptic neuron,
explain the mechanism of transmitting a nervous impulse across a synapse via the neurotransmitter acetylcholine,
describe the role of acetylcholinesterase in breaking down acetylcholine,
recall that transmission across a synapse is unidirectional.