Final answer:
Synaptic transmission in the adrenergic nerve terminal involves the release of neurotransmitters from the presynaptic neuron to the postsynaptic neuron. The neurotransmitters bind to receptors on the postsynaptic membrane, triggering a change in membrane potential.
Step-by-step explanation:
Synaptic transmission in the adrenergic nerve terminal involves several steps:
- When an action potential reaches the axon terminals, voltage-gated Ca²+ channels open in the membrane of the synaptic end bulb. Ca²+ ions enter the end bulb and bind to proteins on the outer surface of neurotransmitter vesicles.
- The Ca²+ ions facilitate the merging of the vesicle with the presynaptic membrane, resulting in the release of neurotransmitters through exocytosis into the synaptic cleft.
- The neurotransmitters diffuse across the synaptic cleft and bind to ligand-gated ion channels on the postsynaptic membrane.
- The binding of neurotransmitters to the ligand-gated ion channels triggers a change in the postsynaptic membrane potential, either depolarization or hyperpolarization, depending on the specific neurotransmitter and receptor.