Description of neuromuscular synapse

Question

Give a brief description of the term neuromuscular synapse?

Answer 1

Neuromuscular synapse is structure through which the neural impulse passes from axon of a motor neuron to muscle cell. This structure is also named as neuromuscular junction, or motor end plate. As in nervous synapse, the axonal terminal membrane liberates the neurotransmitter acetylcholine in cleft between two cells.

Acetylcholine binds to particular receptors of muscle membrane, dependent sodium channels then open and depolarization of muscle membrane begins. The impulse is then transmitted to sarcoplasmic reticulum which liberates calcium ions in the sarcomeres of myofibrils thus triggering contraction.