Question

When talking about the movement of neurotransmitters, what can we accurately say?

a) Neurotransmitters are produced by one neuron but remain attached to that neuron's membrane. This attracts the membrane of another cell, and the two membranes come together with the neurotransmitter acting like cell glue.
b) Neurotransmitters are released by one neuron, diffuse across a gap, and bind to receptor sites on another cell membrane, triggering a change in the activity of the receptor cell.
c) Neurotransmitters are released by one neuron, diffuse across a gap, and are absorbed by another cell membrane so as to trigger a change in activity.
d) Neurotransmitters are released by one neuron and begin a cascade of events in the gap between the cells. It is this cascade of events that triggers the change in the activity of the receptor cell.

A) a,b,c are correct
B) a and b
C) b and c
D) c and d

Answer 1

Neurotransmitters are released by one neuron, cross the synaptic cleft, and bind with receptors on another neuron to trigger a response, akin to a key-lock mechanism.

Step-by-step explanation:

When talking about the movement of neurotransmitters, we can say that neurotransmitters are released by one neuron, diffuse across a gap, and bind to receptor sites on another cell membrane, triggering a change in the activity of the receptor cell. This process is a fundamental component of neurotransmission, where chemical signals bridge the synaptic cleft to convey messages between neurons. The specificity of this signaling is akin to a key and lock mechanism, where neurotransmitters bind specifically to their matching receptors, similar to how a key would fit into its corresponding lock, making the binding a specific chemical event.