Synapses · Histology

What happens to the synaptic vesicle membrane after its contents are released?

  1. It is permanently incorporated into the plasma membrane
  2. It is degraded by extracellular enzymes
  3. It is recycled via endocytosis to form new vesicles
  4. It is ejected into the synaptic cleft
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Correct answer: It is recycled via endocytosis to form new vesicles

To maintain the size of the presynaptic terminal, vesicle membranes are recovered by endocytosis. This 'vesicle recycling' allows the neuron to rapidly reform vesicles for future signal transmission.

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