Final answer:
The process of neurotransmission is how neurons exchange information, where neurotransmitters released by a presynaptic neuron cross the synaptic cleft and bind to postsynaptic receptors, facilitating neural communication.
Step-by-step explanation:
The process that mediates information exchange between neurons through generation of synaptic potentials is known as neurotransmission. This process involves the release of signaling molecules called neurotransmitters by the axon terminal of one neuron (the presynaptic neuron). These neurotransmitters cross the synaptic cleft, a gap between the pre- and postsynaptic cells that is about 20 nm wide, and bind to receptors on the dendrites of another neuron (the postsynaptic neuron), thereby transmitting the signal across the synapse. Neurotransmitters can have excitatory or inhibitory effects, which either increase or decrease the likelihood of an action potential in the postsynaptic neuron.
The synaptic transmission process is crucial for neural communication and underpins how neurons transfer signals to each other and to other types of cells, such as muscle cells, enabling various bodily functions and responses. It takes place at synapses, which may form between axon terminals and dendritic spines, axon-to-axon, dendrite-to-dendrite, or axon-to-cell body. The effects of neurotransmitters on the postsynaptic cell are determined by the type of receptors they bind to and whether they cause depolarization (excitatory effect) or hyperpolarization (inhibitory effect).