Neurotransmitter

High school (ages 12+)
Human Body

Name:

Date:

Step 1 · Read the article

Open the article and read it at the level above. Then answer the questions below in your own words.

https://smallwhale.org/articles/neurotransmitter

Write what each word means, using the article.

Do not copy the article. Write two things you learned, the way you would explain them to a friend.

Answers below are taken from the article’s stored facts, so they match what the student read.

1. What is the synthesis precursors?Synthesized from readily available precursors, often amino acids, requiring minimal biosynthetic steps
2. What is the related topics?Neuroscience, Pharmacology, Psychology, Neurology, Psychiatry
3. What are neurotransmitters and why are they important?Neurotransmitters are tiny chemical messengers that help the brain talk to muscles and other cells. They let neurons communicate across special junctions called synapses, so our body can work and move smoothly.
4. How do neurotransmitters travel from one neuron to another?When an electrical signal reaches the end of a neuron, calcium enters and makes tiny sacs called vesicles fuse with the membrane. The vesicles release neurotransmitters into the tiny gap between cells, and they quickly cross that gap to reach the next cell.

Presynaptic Terminal: The end of a neuron's axon where neurotransmitters are released into the synapse.
Postsynaptic Membrane: The membrane of the receiving neuron or cell that contains neurotransmitter receptors.
Excitatory Neurotransmitter: A neurotransmitter that increases the likelihood of a postsynaptic neuron firing an action potential.
Inhibitory Neurotransmitter: A neurotransmitter that decreases the likelihood of a postsynaptic neuron firing an action potential.