All other things being equal which type of synapse an axoden

All other things being equal, which type of synapse, an axodendritic or an axosomatic, would have the greatest effect on the postsynaptic cell firing an action potential?

Solution

Axosomatic synapse would have the greatest effect on the postsynaptic cell firing an action potential.

Synapses generally occur between the axon terminal of one neuron and the dendrite or cell body of a second. In certain areas, however, synapses also occur between two dendrites, between a dendrite and a cell body, or betwen an axon terminal and a second axon terminal. A neuron conducitng signals toward a synapse is called a presynaptic neuron, whereas a neuron conducting signals away from a synapse is a postsynaptic neuron. A postsynaptic neuron may have thousands of synaptic junctions on the surface of its dendrites and cell body, so that signals from many presynaptic neurons can affect it. In an axodendritic synapse, the axon will have no direct effect on postsynaptic neuron but has an important influence on the ability of dendrite to influence the postsynaptic neuron.