Membrane receptors, specific recognition functions

In many ways, the basic functioning of neurons in the CNS is similar to that of the autonomic nervous system described in Chapter 3. For example, transmission of information in the CNS and in the periphery both involve the release of neurotransmitters that diffuse across the synaptic space to bind to specific receptors on the postsynaptic neuron. In both systems, the recognition of the neurotransmitter by the membrane receptor of the postsynaptic neuron triggers intracellular changes (see p. 33). Several major differences exist between neurons in the peripheral autonomic nervous system and those of the CNS. The circuitry of the CNS is much more complex than the autonomic nervous... 

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