Emergency Medical Technician (EMT) Intermediate Practice Exam

What connects to the next nerve cell at the synapse?

1. Synaptic vesicles

2. Neurotransmitters

3. Axons

4. Dendrites

The correct answer is: Neurotransmitters

The correct answer is neurotransmitters. In the context of synapses, neurotransmitters are the chemical messengers released by the presynaptic neuron in response to an action potential. These chemicals travel across the synaptic cleft—the gap between the two nerve cells—and bind to specific receptors located on the postsynaptic neuron. This binding process allows for the transmission of signals between nerve cells, which is essential for communication throughout the nervous system. Synaptic vesicles are responsible for storing neurotransmitters within the presynaptic neuron until they are released, but they do not directly connect to the next nerve cell. Axons are the long projection of a neuron that transmits signals away from the cell body, and while they do play a crucial role in sending signals from one neuron to another, they do not specifically connect to the next nerve cell at the synapse. Dendrites, on the other hand, are the receiving branches of a neuron that collect signals from the presynaptic cell but are not themselves the substance that facilitates the connection in the way that neurotransmitters do. Understanding this process highlights the critical role neurotransmitters play in the function of the nervous system.