Abstract
Two phenomena are basic for signal transmission in the nervous system. One is the action potential, a transient change in the electrical potential difference across the nerve cell membrane, propagating without decay along the cylindrical parts (axons) of nerve cells (axonal transmission). The other is the signal transmission from one cell to another, which takes place at special contact sites between cell (synapses). In synaptic transmission an action potential arriving at a contact site with a follower cell generates a local change in the electrical potential difference across the membrane of the follower cell. Such local changes add up to generate a new action potential. Underlying both axonal and synaptic transmission are complex physicochemical processes, mainly located in the nerve cell membrane. The author reviews developments in the study of axonal transmission and summarises the main facts in the present understanding of synaptic transmission. In both cases the emphasis lies on the underlying processes at the molecular level.
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