The stimulation of a motor neuron ultimately results in the release of a neurotransmitter at the synapse between the neuron and a muscle cell. How is the chemical signal converted into an electrical signal in the postsynaptic muscle cell?

What will be an ideal response?


Most neurotransmitter receptors function as ligand-gated ion channels. These ion channels are similar to voltage-gated channels, except that they do not open in response to a change in voltage across the membrane, but to the binding of a neurotransmitter. In the neuromuscular junction, the neurotransmitter acetylcholine binds to the acetylcholine receptor, which allows Na+ to enter the muscle cell, altering its membrane potential. In this way, a chemical signal (acetylcholine) is converted back into an electrical signal (change in membrane potential).

Biology & Microbiology

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