NEETZoologyNeural Control and Coordination
What is the purpose of a synaptic cleft?
Options
- ATo separate pre- and post-synaptic neurons
- BTo increase the efficiency of impulse transmission
- CTo regulate the release of neurotransmitters
- DTo allow for direct current flow between neurons
Correct answer
A. To separate pre- and post-synaptic neurons
Step-by-step solution
The action potential is generated in response to a stimulus and travels along the length of the axon, transmitting the nerve impulse. The rise in permeability to Na⁺ is short-lived and is followed by a rise in permeability to K⁺. K⁺ diffuses outside the membrane, restoring the resting potential of the membrane.A synapse is a junction between two neurons that allows the transmission of a nerve impulse from one neuron to another At electrical synapses, the membranes of pre- and post-synaptic neurons are in very close