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This lesson covers the structure and function of synapses as required by the Edexcel GCSE Combined Science specification (1SC0). You need to understand how electrical impulses are transmitted across a synapse using chemicals called neurotransmitters.
A synapse is the junction (gap) between two neurones, or between a neurone and an effector (such as a muscle). Neurones do not physically touch each other — there is a tiny gap between them called the synaptic cleft.
Because electrical impulses cannot cross a gap, the signal must be transmitted across the synapse by a different method — using chemicals called neurotransmitters.
The synapse has several key components:
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