What Is A Neuromuscular Junction And How Is It Different From A Synapse?
A synapse is a junction between two nerve cells but a neuromuscular junction is the meeting of a nerve ending of a motor neuron with a muscle cell. The neuromuscular junction is a specialised sort of synapse but they are wider and come into close contact with the surface membrane of the muscle. The muscle membrane is called the sarcolemma and the area of the sarcolemma that is in contact with the synaptic bulb of the incoming nerve cell is called a motor end plate. When the nerve impulse arrives at the end of the motor neuron, neurotransmitter particles are released in the usual way. This creates a potential in the motor end plate which passes an action potential along the sarcolemma. This brings about the contraction of muscle fibres in that area, causing movement.
