ABSTRACT
In the central nervous system (CNS), information is transferred along neurones in the form of electrical impulses or action potentials which pass from the cell body to the terminal region of the nerve. It is here transformed into chemical information in the form of neurotransmitters (called first messengers). Following the arrival of an action potential, the vesicles where the neurotransmitter is stored undergo exocytosis, resulting in release of neurotransmitter into the synapse, where it is available to interact with postsynaptic receptors. The neurotransmitter is then either metabolized or taken back into the cell by reuptake processes (Figure 1).
