Question

To increase the amount of neurotransmitter released onto a postsynaptic cell, the presynaptic cell would have to

A) send action potentials with higher voltage (higher amplitude).
B) send action potentials with longer durations.
C) send action potentials with higher frequency.
D) do nothing; no change is possible since the all-or-none law is in effect.

Answer 1

To increase neurotransmitter release, the presynaptic cell sends action potentials more frequently, leading to more neurotransmitter being released due to increased calcium influx.

Step-by-step explanation:

To increase the amount of neurotransmitter released onto a postsynaptic cell, the presynaptic cell would have to send action potentials with higher frequency.

This is because action potentials are all-or-none events and cannot have higher voltages or longer durations. The frequency of action potentials determines the amount of calcium influx through voltage-gated calcium channels, which in turn dictates the amount of neurotransmitter released from the vesicles in the presynaptic cell into the synaptic cleft.