Question

What is a motor end plate?

Answer 1

Motor end plate:

A motor end plate is a chemical synapse that is formed at the sites where the terminal branches of the axon contact a target muscle cell.

The action of motor end plate:

1. Acetylcholine released from pre-synaptic neurons into the synaptic cleft activates the nicotinic receptors on the motor end plate.
2. Due to stimulation, multiple end plate potential is produced which later combines to form end plate potential.
3. The motor end plate potential has an amplitude of 0.5 mV.
4. This end plate potential fully activates the sodium channels and causes depolarization.
5. This depolarization will then initiate the muscle contraction.