neurotransmitter released, as well as the receptor at the postsynaptic neuron.

The main inhibitory neurotransmitter, GABA, has an inhibitory effect in mammalian systems. Note that nearly 80% of the neurons in the brain are performing excitatory effects and the remaining 20% are involved in inhibitory activities, i.e. there are many more excitatory neurotransmitters than inhibitory neurotransmitters. The vesicles store the neurotransmitters (Fig. 2.8). Vesicles are produced in the cell body. An action potential causes a vesicle to migrate to the membrane, bind to it, and then release its neurotransmitter contents to the postsynaptic neurons. Neurotransmitters are chemical substances released from a neuron at a synapse, and are used to relay, amplify, and modulate electrical signals between a neuron and other neurons. A neurotransmitter conveys information between two neurons, while neuromodulators convey information to a region of neurons (or group of neurons). There are many different types of neurotransmitters and neuromodulators, corresponding with different types of receptors. A receptor is a protein on the cell membrane that binds to a specific molecule, such as a neurotransmitter, hormone, or other substance, and initiates the cellular response of that specific molecule. More information of the different types of neurotransmitters, neuromodulators, and receptors can be found in (Alexander and Peters, 2000) or at SenseLab (http://senselab.med.yale.edu/). The SenseLab project is managed by Professor Good Shepherd from Yale Univeristy for the construction of databases for receptors and neurons to facilitate the integration of these multidisciplinary data into computational models of neurons and neuronal currents. In summary, the information flow arrives at the axon terminal as an action potential. This action potential triggers the release of a neurotransmitter from a vesicle, whereupon the neurotransmitter binds to a receptor on ion channels, and ions cross the membrane through open channels. This influx of ions produces a synaptic potential in the postsynaptic neuron. When the integrated or total sum of the synaptic potentials exceeds its threshold, the postsynaptic neuron will fire an action potential, i.e. the neuron respond