Ace the BMAT 2026 – Unleash Your Biomedical Superpowers!

The axon terminal serves as the final destination for the electrical impulse within a neuron before the signal is transmitted to another neuron. This area contains synaptic vesicles filled with neurotransmitters, which are chemicals crucial for communication between neurons. When the electrical impulse, or action potential, reaches the axon terminal, it triggers the release of these neurotransmitters into the synaptic cleft, the gap between neurons.

The role of the axon terminal is vital, as it not only facilitates the transmission of signals but also ensures that this communication can occur efficiently and effectively. This process allows for the continuation of the signal across the synapse to the dendrites of the adjacent neuron, eventually leading to a new electrical impulse in that neuron.

In contrast, the dendrite receives incoming signals from other neurons; the soma (cell body) processes the incoming information and maintains cell functions; and the synaptic cleft is just the space where transmission occurs, but it does not involve the impulse ending up there. Thus, the axon terminal is the correct answer, as it represents the endpoint for the electrical impulse within a neuron.