Definition
At chemical synapses, transmitter molecules are released from presynaptic terminals to the synaptic cleft or extracellular space as the mediator of transmission, and bind to receptors located on the membrane surface of postsynaptic cells. Binding of transmitters often give rise to transient change in the membrane potential of the postsynaptic cells, which is referred to as postsynaptic potentials (Fig. 1) [1–5]. In the case of electrical synapses [6], electric current flows directly from one cell to the other as the mediator of transmission, and causes a change in membrane potential. Although this can also be referred to as postsynaptic potential, the term “postsynaptic” is conditional, because the electrical synapses are bidirectional. Hence, this term is used mostly for chemical synapses.
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Miyakawa, Hiroyoshi (2009). Postsynaptic Potential. In: Binder, M.D., Hirokawa, N., Windhorst, U. (eds) Encyclopedia of Neuroscience. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-540-29678-2_4702
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