What Are the Cellular Mechanisms Behind Spatial Summation?
The cellular mechanisms behind spatial summation involve the dendrites and cell body of the neuron. When neurotransmitters bind to receptors on the dendritic membrane, they cause localized changes in membrane potential. These changes, known as postsynaptic potentials (PSPs), can be either excitatory (EPSPs) or inhibitory (IPSPs). The PSPs from multiple synapses sum together at the axon hillock, where an action potential may be generated if the combined potential exceeds the threshold.
