Mind the gap

Brain function relies on accurate communication between neurons. In this section Dr. Gareth Evans and Dr. Antje Kuhrs will consider the specialised machinery and sequence of events that neurons use to transmit signals.

Here are some questions to consider while you’re watching the video. We’d be happy to hear from you in the comments once you’ve watched the video.

• Why do you think chemical synapses have evolved (why not transmit the information in the form of an electrical signal, such as in the reticular theory?)
• What would happen if the synaptic vesicle membrane was not recycled after release?
• How do the correct pre- and post-synaptic neurons find each other to make synaptic connections during brain development?