What do terminal buttons contain?

Study for the Kent State General Psychology Test. Prepare with flashcards and multiple choice questions, each question comes with hints and explanations. Ace your exam!

Terminal buttons, found at the end of axons, are specialized structures that contain neurotransmitters. These neurotransmitters are chemical messengers that play a crucial role in transmitting signals across synapses to communicate between neurons. When an action potential reaches the terminal buttons, it triggers the release of these neurotransmitters into the synaptic cleft, allowing them to bind to receptors on the postsynaptic neuron, thereby conveying the signal.

The other options describe processes or components that are not located or found within terminal buttons. For instance, cell DNA pertains to genetic information and is located in the nucleus of the neuron rather than in the terminal buttons. Electric charges that initiate action potentials occur along the axon and are not contained within the terminal buttons themselves. Lastly, information received from dendrites pertains to incoming signals to the neuron and does not reside within terminal buttons. Hence, the presence of neurotransmitters in terminal buttons is essential for neural communication.

Subscribe

Get the latest from Examzify

You can unsubscribe at any time. Read our privacy policy