Q. What is the neuromuscular synapse?
Neuromuscular synapse is the structure through which the neural impulse passes from the axon of a motor neuron to the muscle cell. This structure is also called as neuromuscular junction or motor end plate. As in the nervous synapse the axonal terminal membrane releases the neurotransmitter acetylcholine in the cleft between the two cells. Acetylcholine binds to specific receptors of the muscle membrane dependent sodium channels then depolarization and the open of the muscle membrane begins and the impulse is then transmitted to the sarcoplasmic reticulum that releases calcium ions into the sarcomeres of the myofibrils thus triggering contraction.