Make a zoomed-in synapse model

You can make a model of a synapse to help you learn what goes on at the point where two neurons connect. This is a detailed model and so is more appropriate for secondary school-aged children.

For reference, when we zoom in to a synapse, it looks a bit like this (right).

Below are some suggestions for materials you could use to make the model but be as creative as you'd like!

• For the membrane - wool/string/twine/paper/pipe cleaners/modeling clay/strawberry laces
• For the vesicles - the same as you used for the membrane
• For the neurotransmitters - newspaper/tissue paper/pom-poms/pipe cleaners/modeling clay/Maltesers
• For the receptors - bottle tops/pipe cleaners/modeling clay/marshmallows