Calcium ions (Ca²+) are essential for facilitating the release of neurotransmitters into the synaptic cleft by merging vesicles within the presynaptic membrane.
Calcium ions (Ca²+) are specifically needed to facilitate the merging of vesicles within the presynaptic membrane, allowing neurotransmitter release into the synaptic cleft. When the presynaptic membrane is depolarized, voltage-gated Ca²+ channels open, and the entry of calcium triggers the fusion of synaptic vesicles with the membrane for neurotransmitter release through exocytosis.
For example, when an action potential reaches the axon terminals, voltage-gated Ca²+ channels open, allowing Ca²+ to enter the cell, which aids in the process of neurotransmitter release into the synaptic cleft.
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