Our nervous system is made up of a very complex network of neurons whose function is to receive, interpret, store and respond to all the internal and external stimuli to which our body is subjected.
The neurons, responsible for perceiving stimuli and creating and transmitting the nerve impulses that will serve as a response to the stimulus, have a small space between them, this gap is known as a synaptic cleft . In this FastlyHealarticle we explain the definition of synaptic cleft and its function.
Synaptic cleft concept
The synaptic cleft is the extracellular microscopic space that separates neurons and measures 20 to 30 nanometers, it is one of the three components that make up the chemical synapse.
The neurotransmitters are responsible to act as chemical messengers, allowing communication between two neurons through transport of nerve impulses. Stimulation in the presynaptic cell prompts the secretion of neurotransmitters, which carry nerve impulses from one neuron to another. When a nerve impulse is sent, the synaptic vesicles are emptied and the neurotransmitters that cross the synaptic cleft are released, when reaching the next neuron the neurotransmitters bind to the receptors, this union forms a new stimulus for the nervous system.
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