Process of Action Potential and the Concept of a Drug’s Half-Life

Chemical Neurotransmission
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Chemical Neurotransmission
When a cell is stimulated or polarized, it fires an action potential. Explain the process and how neurotransmitters are dispersed to other neighboring cells across the synapse.
A single neuron has the capability to do many things. One of its potential capabilities is maintaining a voltage across the membrane. A neuron can also fire impulses or perform the metabolic process essential in staying alive. On the other hand, the signaling of a neuron is exciting than a single neuron. Individual neurons connect with target neurons and help stimulate or inhibit their activity, thereby forming circuits that help in processing incoming information for a response. Neurons communicate with each other through the synapse. A synapse is a point of communication occurring between a single neuron and another, or a neuron and a target such as a gland or muscle. When an action potential in a neuron is fired or sent, it leads to the transmission of a signal to another neuron. The fired neuron is known as presynaptic, while the neuron receiving the signal is called postsynaptic (Arnold et al., 2017). The postsynaptic neuron has to potential to fire its own action potential or fail. 
           During chemical transmission, chemical messengers known as neurotransmitters are released. The neurotransmitters move information from the presynaptic neuron to the postsynaptic cell. It is worth noting that synapses are created between nerve terminals on the cell body and presynaptic neuron or the dendrite of a postsynaptic neuron. One axon can have many branches, which allow it to develop synapses on different postsynaptic cells. Likewise, a neuron has the capability to receive numerous synaptic responses from different presynaptic neurons. The axon terminal through which the cell is sent has multiple synaptic vesicles filled with neurotransmitter molecules (Arnold et al., 2017). A small gap exists between the postsynaptic cell’s membrane and the presynaptic neuron’s axon terminal, which is known as the synaptic cleft. 
           A nerve impulse triggers voltage-gated calcium passages located in the membrane after arriving at the axon terminal. The calcium ion flashes into the cell as it has a lesser concentration inside the neuron than outside. Thus, the calcium ion helps the synaptic vesicles mix with the axon terminal membrane and releases neurotransmitters to the synaptic cleft. The neurotransmitter molecules are then diffused through the synaptic cleft, binding to the postsynaptic cell receptor proteins (Arnold et al., 2017). ...